740.0011 European War 1939/12834: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 3—8:35 p.m.]
234. Your 111, June 30. Relevant passage of press comment summarized in my 214, June 2377 appeared in course of rather ill-informed editorial which analyzed advantages accruing from Turco-German treaty to both Germany and Britain and could not even apart from its context be construed as implying intention on part of Turkish Government to accord to German naval vessels right of passage through Straits denied to British and indeed forbidden under Montreux convention (article 19, paragraph 2).
- 2.
- Your telegram cites my 156, May 19, in support of statement that “Turkey permitted vessels loaded with German troops to transit the Dardanelles” etc. My telegram made no such assertion and I know of nothing to support it (nor do my British and Greek colleagues whom I have taken occasion to consult again) unless it be information furnished to British in strictest confidence by Turkish port authorities to effect that German steamship Delos transiting April 16 was believed to have been carrying mines and possibly troops to Lemnos—a belief which convention gave port authorities no authority to confirm by inspection. What my telegram was intended to convey was that although precluded from interfering with passage of certain German vessels Turkish authorities nevertheless tipped off British—action demonstrating intentions quite contrary to what your telegram assumes.
- 3.
- I think it clear (and Greek Ambassador agrees) that Turkish obligation under treaty with Greece to which you refer not applicable to passage of troops or supplies through international waterways to which Turkish Government is responsible for maintaining freedom of transit and navigation subject to provisions of convention (article 4).
- 4.
- Assumption that Turks may be prepared to afford to Germans facilities which they deny to British seems to me so clearly unwarranted by facts that I have not thought it desirable to antagonize any of Turkish authorities by asking expression of their view.
- Not printed.↩