860j.48/80
The High Commissioner at Constantinople
(Bristol)
to the Secretary of
State
Constantinople, February 9,
1921.
[Received March 1.]
No. 42
Sir: In previous despatches47 I have reported regarding the
withdrawal of the Near East Relief from Armenian territory under
Bolshevik occupation, and have communicated the minutes of meetings held
between representatives of the Near East Relief and the
[Page 928]
Bolshevik Commissary at Alexandropol. I
now have the honor to submit a copy of a letter addressed on January 4th
to the Commissary of Alexandropol, by Dr. E. A. Yarrow, director of the
Caucasus branch of the Near East Relief, summarizing the reasons for the
withdrawal of relief work from Bolshevik territory.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The Director General of the Caucasus Branch,
Near East Relief (Yarrow) to the
Commissaire of the Alexandropol Local Soviet (Artzvik)
Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of recent
date, I wish to thank you, on behalf of the Near East Relief, for
your expression of sympathy and respect for the activities which we
have been carrying on. I can assure you that it was with the
greatest regret that our Committee felt itself compelled to withdraw
from Alexandropol. This action was decided upon after due
consideration, in which all the American personnel shared, and it
was practically the unanimous opinion of all concerned that it would
be impossible for us to continue and do any good under the
conditions laid down before us. Our decision was made after the
first conference with you, but it was delayed in execution, hoping
that there might be some modification of your attitude which would
make possible the continuance of our care for the orphans; but after
the third conference it was decided that it would be impossible for
us to remain.
In order that there may be no doubt as to the reasons for our
withdrawal I shall state them briefly. You will find all of them
formulated and clearly defined in the discussions at the three
conferences we had.
- First: There was a persistent and almost violent expression of
suspicion regarding the purposes for which the Near East Relief
had come to Armenia. It was continually hinted that the plain
humanitarian motives actuating us were simply a cloak for some
deep and sinister political intrigue. In answer to this point I
state at once that the Near East Relief has not now, nor has it
ever had, any connection with any political body, or even
officially with the American Government except in so far as the
American Government shows a friendly and helpful interest in any
American activity, whether carried on at home or abroad, which
is regulated by the fair laws of our land. During Colonel
Haskell’s regime there was a semi-official connection between
the N.E.R. and the American
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Government, but this was not of a
political nature, Colonel Haskell only acting as the agent of
the American Government in the loan of $50,000,000 worth of food
supplies to the Armenian Government.
- Second: All the money expended by the N.E.R. was collected
from the American people by individual contributions. Many of
those contributing were children and people of the poorer
classes who made a great personal sacrifice in giving. Those of
the Near East Relief who were administering these funds in the
Caucasus felt that a very sacred trust had been imposed upon
them in properly distributing the money and supplies sent to
them from America. In Alexandropol we were threatened with the
seizure by force of these supplies sent for a definite purpose,
and with the probability of their being used for other purposes.
Our very self-respect demanded that we do everything in our
power to safeguard these supplies and the interest of the
Americans who had contributed them, and had made us their
trustees.
- Third: In the third conference the American personnel was
actually threatened with forcible retention in Alexandropol, and
subjection to the indignities of prison and enforced labor. We
Americans had to come to the Caucasus to try to save a nation
which was rapidly being decimated by starvation. This was
accomplished, and then we turned our attention to the caring for
and rearing of 20,000 orphan children, the plan being to carry
them on for about ten years until the Armenian nation could get
on its feet and take over the responsibility. You can imagine
the shock that it was to us all when, instead of receiving a
grateful acknowledgment for the work we were doing, we were
faced with the possibility of being placed in restraint and of
being punished if our actions were not pleasing to the
Government.
I am sending back Mr. Brown and Mr. Martin, who have volunteered,
under your guarantees, to carry on the activities at Kasatche Post
until such time as a general understanding shall have been arrived
at and a permanent policy decided upon regarding operations in your
territory. You probably know that I have sent a Commission to Tiflis
to get in touch with our New York Headquarters and with the
Bolshevik representatives. When this Commission has finished its
sessions and has reported back to these Headquarters I can then let
you know what our policy will be hereafter.
Your attitude toward the Near East Relief during the coming days will
undoubtedly have its effect upon the decision in Tiflis.
Yours truly,
