File No. 367.116/261a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey (Morgenthau)
Washington, December 20, 1914.
[Telegram]
182. The President approves the suggestion that Americans should be advised to leave Turkey wherever you think it would be unsafe for them to remain, but he suggests that to avoid frightening friends in this country and attracting public attention it is better to handle the [Page 778] matter very guardedly and confidentially. Will you please, therefore, send private word to all the inland missions and advise them to retire from Turkey as soon as they can conveniently do so, if they feel that there are grounds for serious apprehension, stating that in giving this advice you have the approval of the President, but ask them to regard the advice as confidential and not to allow public mention to be made of it? If they send word to their friends at home they can simply state that they are intending to leave Turkey, without saying that they are advised to do so. In the case of Americans in Constantinople and Robert College and places near enough to be under the special protection of the Embassy, we assume that they will be constantly under your eye and guidance in such matters.