711.00 Statement July 16, 1937/281
Memorandum by the Chargé in Turkey (Washington) of a Conversation With the Turkish Foreign Minister (Tevfik Rüstü Aras) at Yalova,21 August 11, 193722
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Minister stated that a text was in the process of preparation and that it would be handed to me within three or four days. He said that the Secretary’s statement had been subjected to a most careful study but that he must communicate with members of the Balkan Entente and the members of the Eastern Entente23 before writing the reply of the Turkish Government. He said that he was sure that the members of the Eastern Entente did agree in every respect with the Secretary’s declaration but that some attention was being given by the members of the Balkan Entente to the statement regarding the modfication of treaties when need therefor arises “by orderly processes carried out in a spirit of mutual helpfulness and accommodation”. [Page 780] He said that he thought that no real objection would be made to this phraseology but that it might require some further explanation in the Turkish statement. He stated that he was enthusiastic over what seemed to be a new method of international cooperation which has been started by the Secretary. He said that the conference method has proved a failure; that even the League has temporarily proved inadequate; and that the only hope for international cooperation lies now in consultations and he was happy to see that the Secretary had inaugurated a world-wide series of consultations.
He then turned to the Far Eastern crisis. He prefaced his remarks by saying that he knew very little about the Fur East; that Turkey is far from the rest of Asia; that when the world speaks of Asia it thinks of China, Japan and India, and not of Turkey; that the Turks’, the Iranians, the Iraqians, the Afghans, and the Russians are not Asiatics but members of the white race. He said that the eastern borders of the countries which are members of the recently formed “Entente Orientale” mark the real border between Europe and Asia; that it is a natural boundary as there are not even any rivers which flow across this line.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
He expressed some anxiety over the danger of another nation becoming involved in the Chinese-Japanese difficulties. I asked him whether he feared Russian intervention but he replied that the moment Russia should attack in the Far East Germany would be at her in Europe. He said that Japan had cleverly arrived at an understanding with Germany. He then compared Japan and Germany, stating that the two countries represent the enigmas of Asia and Europe respectively. He said that nothing pleases them, their aggressive policies must be combated, but that to crush either one completely would bring worse troubles upon the world, and that solution lies only in compromising with them.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .