File No. 867.48/362
The Chargé in Turkey (Philip) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 1, 8.30 a. m.]
1987. Tour 2784 [2814], July 7, 2 p. m. My 1930, July 6, 3 p. m. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has up till to-day met my requests for a reply in the matter of the desired permission to relieve the inhabitants of Syria and the Lebanon with the statement that the Government was awaiting a report from Djemal Pasha. To-day in the course of a long conversation, he informed me that the Government would not permit the importation of supplies for distribution by a neutral commission among these people. He stated that Djemal denies the facts as reported to the Embassy and represents that he has sent to Beirut and the Lebanon up to the present about 3,500,000 bushels of wheat, apart from that sent through private sources, and that this year’s crops have been better than for half a century past. Djemal has also applied to the Government for £10,000 for distribution among the poor of the above districts. The Minister admits there is some suffering in Syria and the Lebanon, as is also the case in Constantinople or Smyrna, but denies that anyone has died of starvation. He and his colleagues, he says, believe that alarming reports are spread in the United States by the Entente powers for a double purpose; firstly, on the supposition that Turkey will refuse the distribution of relief and thus become embroiled with the United States; secondly, that if Turkey should consent, Entente powers would manipulate the matter so as to be considered by the inhabitants of Syria and the Lebanon as the real benefactors. He therefore professes to believe that the whole [outcry] has been raised by the Entente powers who desire to cause a similar revolt in Syria to that which they have lately brought about in Mecca, and basis of the refusal to allow the distribution of relief by a neutral commission on this ground, as well as the denial of the existence of famine. In the latter connection he remarked that both the German and Austrian Embassies considered the situation in Syria and the Lebanon as normal.
In a previous interview Minister for Foreign Affairs had mentioned the fact that the Government had intercepted a number of letters addressed to the United States by Palestine Jews who he [Page 935] believed were responsible for spreading alarmist reports in order to get relief supplies. I replied that I have received much reliable information which convinces me of the existence of very different conditions from those reported by Djemal and insisted in the name of humanity on the necessity of relieving the sufferings of the Syrians as well as of the Armenians, which I said the American people wished to do at once and with no political reasons in view. In regard to Armenians I said that there could be no suspicion of Entente political aims there, and urged that immediate permission be given for the importation of relief for these people whose terrible situation can not be denied. The Minister stated that the Government would positively refuse to consider the distribution of relief by neutrals, as it considered that all its troubles with certain of its subject races have been brought about owing to foreign propaganda and foreign interference with the internal affairs of Turkey. On my insisting that it would be necessary to inspire confidence on the part of the American donors who would certainly be entitled to representation and to detailed report, he said that possibly some way might be found to satisfy them as well as the Turkish Government in the matter of outside relief measures, and it is understood that I will make further proposals in this respect.
The Spanish Minister and the Papal Delegate have both received instructions lately to support the Department’s request concerning Syrian relief. The former has received an additional instruction to request in the name of the Queen certain privileges for the inhabitants of Syria and Lebanon, including permission to import supplies in Spanish vessels and for aged and infirm inhabitants to leave the country in Spanish vessels, etc. These colleagues promised to make verbal representations to-day, but I doubt if the result will be important.
The Minister stated that he would shortly ask me to forward a reply to the telegram of the Chargé d’Affaires in Washington which would be based upon information received from Djemal Pasha.
Certain evidences lead me to believe that whereas all open distribution of relief by neutrals will be opposed during the period of military ascendancy, any serious defeat or setback in the eastern or western war theater would, in all probability, render such opposition much less obdurate.