From: dbd@urartu.sdpa.org (David Davidian)
Subject: U.S. Consular Report on the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians 3/5
Summary: emasculation methdology 
Organization: S.D.P.A. Center for Regional Studies
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 05:10:19 GMT

This posting is PART 3 of a chronological series of postings taken directly 
from U.S. Consular telegrams, eyewitness reports describing the Turkish 
genocidal destruction of the Armenians in the Harput-Elazig region of east 
central Anatolia. We can thank Mr. Ahmet Cosar (cosar@tera.cs.umn.edu) for
answering an email of mine in such a manner as to elicit this series of
postings in response. 

The Armenian people demand recognition, reparations, and the return of land
from the Republic of Turkey, as the price of this genocide.

The genocidal policy of Turkey cost the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and
ended a 3,000 year long Armenian cultural existence on the eastern Anatolian
land of Armenia. The Turkish government and its agents continue to deny and
cover up this horrific crime against humanity and are enjoying the fruits of
genocide as we read this historic record.

- - -				Part 3/5				- - -

Honorable Henry Morgenthau		American Consulate
American Ambassador			Mamouret-ul-Aziz (Harput), Turkey
Constantinople				July 24, 1915

Sir:

I have the honor to further supplement my reports of June 30th and July 11th
(File No. 840.1) in regard to the expulsion of the Armenians from this region,
or to speak more clearly, the wholesale massacre of these Armenians, as 
follows:

Any doubt that may have been expressed in previous reports as to the
Government's intention in sending away the Armenians have been removed and any
hope that may have been expressed as to the possibility of some of them 
surviving has been destroyed. It has been no secret that the plan was to 
destroy the Armenian race as a race, but the methods have been more cold-
blooded and barbarous, if not more effective, than I had first supposed. It
was apparent that very few would ever survive the journey from here to Urfa or
to any other place at this season of the year. As a matter of fact, it has
been quite unnecessary to consider the difficulties of such a journey. It 
seems to be fully established now that practically all who have been sent away
from here have been deliberately shot or otherwise killed within one or two
days after their departure. This work has not all been done by bands of Kurds
but has for the most part been that of gendarmes who accompanied the people
from here or the companies of armed "cetes" (convicts) who have been released
from prison for the purpose of murdering the Armenian exiles.

It has been repeatedly reported, and I think there is no doubt about the truth
of these reports, that not a single man who has been sent away has been 
spared. Many of the women and children have been deliberately killed at the
same time. A few of the more attractive women have been carried off to adorn
the harems of some of the Kurdish chieftains and of some of the gendarmes.
Some of the older women and children have been allowed to wander along, 
accompanied by gendarmes, with the certainty that all of them will soon perish
from hunger, sickness and exhaustion.

I do not believe there has ever been a massacre in the history of the world
so general and thorough as that which is now being perpetrated in this region
or that a more fiendish, diabolical scheme has ever been conceived by the
mind of man. What the order is officially and nominally to exile the Armenians
from these Vilayets may mislead the world for a while, but the measure is 
nothing but a massacre of the most atrocious nature. It would be that even if 
all the people had been allowed to perish on the road. As the greater part of 
them, however, have been actually murdered as as there is no doubt that this 
was done by the order of the Government, there can be no pretense that the 
measure is anything else but a general massacre.

Fully 12,000 or 15,000 Armenians have now been sent away from the town of
Mamouret-ul-Aziz and the city of Harput. Possibly 1,000 or 1,500 remain with
permission or through bribery or in hiding. Many thousands have also gone
from the neighboring villages. In all, probably a third of the population of
this region is gone. The most remarkable feature of the situation is the
helplessness of the Armenians and the total lack of resistance on their part.
With two or three insignificant exceptions, there has not been a blow struck
by any of them. I have been told that two or three gendarmes have been killed
in the villages, but probably not a half a dozen in all. It did not seem
possible that such an order could be carried out without more or less 
violence. One would think that some would have chosen death here, knowing that
it awaited them a few hours after their departure, and many talked that way,
but when the time has come all have started without making any resistance.
This has been due, partially, of course, to the lack of sprit in the Armenian
race, but it is due very largely also to the clever way in which the scheme
has been carried out.

Everything was apparently planned months ago. First a few who were said to
have been involved in a revolutionary plot were arrested. Some bombs were
found and further arrests were made. Those who were arrested were subjected to
terrible tortures and were made to confess to much that was probably not true
and to accuse many who were entirely innocent. Orders were given that all arms
of every kind must be surrendered to the authorities. People were tortured 
until they confessed that they had a gun or revolver or something when they
actually had none at all. Then they would pay some Turk a fabulous price for
some kind of a weapon which they might surrender to the police. Liberal
promises were made that if everyone would surrender their weapons there would
be no further trouble. The town and villages were surrounded by gendarmes and
nearly every man caught. They were then systematically beaten and tortured,
the greater of them without any accusation whatever having been against them.
The result was that quite a number of weapons and some bombs were collected
by the police. How many of the bombs may have been planted by the police
themselves and how many weapons were obtained by innocent people for the
purpose of having something to surrender to the police we shall probably never
know. It is certain, however, that many of the people who surrendered some
kind of a weapon were never engaged in any revolutionary plot and that there
was not even so much evidence against many who were tortured as the production
of weapons. At the same time this search was being made practically all the 
leading men among the Armenians were arrested. The authorities insisted most 
earnestly that all who were thus arrested were involved in the plot against 
the Government and that none were unjustly arrested. As all proceedings were 
in private it is impossible, of course, for others to know the truth of such 
statements, or at least to disprove them, but in the light of subsequent 
developments it would take a great amount of imagination to believe them. Many
hundreds of the prominent men were thus cast into prison. They were then sent 
away and there seems to be no doubt that they were all murdered a few hours' 
distance from here. Several thousand Armenian soldiers [in the Turkish army] 
were also arrested and sent away obstensibly to work on the roads somewhere. 
As far as I know, nothing has ever been heard from any of them as it is known 
that some of them were shot. There is no doubt that all the others were shot.

Then, when practically all the Armenian men had been gotten out of the way
and every weapon surrendered or found by the police, it was announced that all
Armenians must be deported. Effective resistance to such an order was
impossible. The whole scheme was planned so cleverly that the police and
gendarmes are able to carry it out with no risk at all to themselves. A few
thousand men have thus been able to dispose of 15,000 or 20,000 Armenians from
this immediate locality. It appears that the same system has been followed in
other parts of this Vilayet and in other Vilayets. It is impossible to say
how many Armenians have been killed but it is estimated that the number as not
far from a million.

An incident that has proved the fate of those who have left is the death of
the bishop or Archbishop, I believe, Mgr., Israelian, of the local Armenian
Catholic Church. His departure was postponed for one or two weeks on the 
grounds that the roads were not safe. Finally, about ten days ago he was given
a safe-conduct by the Vali, who had always pretended to be very friendly to
him. He left with about forty others, all of whom had been given safe-
conduct. There had never been any suspicion of any of them and it was thought
the Government intended to give them a safe journey. They were given a special
guard of gendarmes and all precautions were apparently taken for their safety.
Wagons were furnished them. They left here towards evening on July 14th and
arrived the next day at Kazin Khan, about eight or nine hours' distance from
here. There they met a large number of gendarmes. They were told that they
could not travel that road and would have to return and go in the opposite
direction. Their wagons were turned around and they came back for about half
an hour. Then the gendarmes tied their hands together and led them a short
distance from the road. Some of them had their prayerbooks and knelt in
prayer. These were kicked out of their hands amid curses of the gendarmes
and all but three of the party were shot and killed. Among them was Mlle.
Marguerite Gamat, a French citizen whom I mentioned in my telegram of December
10th and dispatch of December 31st to the Embassy. The three who were saved
were attractive women and they were all taken to become Moslem wives. One
succeeded in getting free. It was from her that I obtained the above 
information. It was likewise one of the survivors who gave me from his own
lips the details of the shooting of the eight hundred mentioned on page 5 of
my report of July 11th. The exact number is now said to have been 979. Both
of these incidents are so thoroughly established that I do not think there is
a particle of doubt in them. There have been several survivors of the 979 who
have told about that. Evidence of both has also been furnished by the 
gendarmes themselves.

Another incident that was reported to me the other day was that some of the
people who were sent from here were actually burned alive in a cave between
here and Diarbakir. This was told me by a gendarme who was with them and who
expressed himself as being very strongly opposed to the barbarous treatment
the Armenians were receiving.

The shooting and killing of people a few hours after their departure from here
is barbarous and shows that the real intention of the Government is not to
exile them but to kill them. Yet, on the whole, I am inclined to believe that
the sooner they are disposed of the merciful it is. A lingering but certain
death after weeks or months of wandering is worse. After the departure of the
parties that arrived here from Erzurum and Erzincan a few hundred of those
who were too sick or feeble to continue with the others were left here to die.
Their camp is a scene from the Inferno. Greater misery could not be imagined.
It was bad enough before when there were several thousand all in a most
wretched condition. Now, when only the worst of them are left behind, the
scene beggars all description. The dead and dying are everywhere. Two or three
small children may be seen weeping over the dead body of their mother, tugging
at her as she lies on the ground with matted hair and staring eyes; other
small children almost or quite naked and covered with filth lying curled up
on the ground dead or in convulsions; other women and children so emaciated
that he profile of the face has the exact appearance of a skull; one small boy
wearing part of a shirt and a ragged stocking on one foot was actually only a
skeleton; other small children with bloated bellies lying in the sun; very
rarely a man, but mostly women and children, all in the last stages of their
misery waiting for death to come to their relief. I presume a little food is
brought to these people, but most of them are too far gone to need food. Each
day there are many deaths and these will continue until all are gone. Dead
bodies are to be seen there at any time. These are often left lying in the sun
too long, with the result that the air is made fetid with the stench from 
them and from human filth that is all around. They are finally disposed of by
the gendarmes digging one huge hole right in the midst of the encampment and
throwing them all in together.

One sees dead bodies now in all directions and on every road, not only a
distance but even on the outskirts of the town itself. People coming from 
neighboring villages report as many as ten or twelve bodies lying by the
roadside in an hour's journey. One man who has succeeded in getting here alive
from Sivas says he saw not less than five hundred bodies on that road. The
whole country as one vast charnel house, or, more correctly speaking,
slaughterhouse.

The fate of those who have been killed or died is sad, but perhaps that of
those who have been spared is even worse. Some of the women have been brought
back here. Among these is a pretty girl of thirteen years whose father was one
of the most prominent men and had one of the best homes in this region. He has
been killed. She was separated from her mother and small brothers and does not
know what has become of them. Now at her age she is to marry one of the most
brutal petty officers around here and they are to live in her father's house!

I have written strongly about the situation and proceedings here because it is
impossible to write about them at all and not do so. It is not that I am in 
any way a champion of the Armenian race. It is not a race one can admire or
among whom I should choose to live. But, whatever the faults of the Armenian 
people may be and however conclusive may be of the proof that some of them
have been involved in a revolutionary plot, the punishment inflicted upon 
these people is so severe, the tragedy is so terrible, that one cannot
contemplate it and certainly cannot live in the midst of it without being
stirred to the depths of one's nature. When one sees men and women seventy or
even eighty years old, lame, blind and sick, innocent women and children and
helpless babies sent away to be killed or die and actually sees them dead or
dying all around, it is impossible to conceive of any justification that can
be urged for a measure so severe.

Yet the local authorities are now apparently trying to find some way of
justifying what they have done. The Chief of Police called on me on July 16th
and requested me to write to the Embassy about the shooting of two or three
gendarmes in a neighboring village by some Armenians. I had heard that
something of that kind had happened but do not know the details of it and have
no personal knowledge of the matter. I said I should be quite willing to call
the attention of the Embassy to the matter if he wished and suggested that he
write me a letter which I would transmit to the Embassy. He agreed to do so.

On July 23rd, after having made my official calls, three of us met together
and considered the possibility of taking some step in the name of humanity to
have these horrors stopped. We were Mr. Ehmann (a German missionary), Mr. 
Picciotto (an  Austrian, the "Sous-Director" of the local branch of the
Ottoman Bank) and myself. We decided to call on the Vali informally and ask
him unofficially if the few Armenians who were left here could not be spared.
He received us most cordially. We explained our errand and asked him if he
would not be willing to send a telegram to Constantinople asking for orders
permitting those Armenians who had been left here to that time to remain,
suggesting that we should also like to send a mutual telegram to the American,
German and Austrian Embassies asking them to take any measures that might be
possible to have such orders issued. The Vali has all along expressed his 
regret at the necessity to taking such measures as he has recently been
obliged to do and has pretended to be very much touched by the suffering of
the people. He apparently consented at once to our plan and said he should be
glad if such orders could be obtained. Then he imposed a condition, viz., that
each of us write a letter to the Vilayet asking to have those remaining here
spared, so that he could use these letters as the basis for making a demand on
the central authorities. He added that he should like to have as many details
in the letter as possible, so that it would appear that all those who were
guilty of anything had been sent away and all those who remained were 
innocent. It was quite evident that His Excellency wanted to have it appear
by implication that all who had been sent away were guilty. He said he would 
have the Chief of Police call on me that evening to explain the matter more 
fully. 

We all met at the Consulate and the Chief of Police called as arranged. He
was not all interested in having a letter from Mr. Ehmann or Mr. Picciotto 
but insisted strongly that I write a letter to the Vilayet, calling attention
to the shooting of some gendarmes by Armenians and to the fact that those
Armenians who were guilty of having been engaged in a revolutionary plot had
been punished, together with their families and people connected with them,
while those who now remained were only innocent women and children. I was to
encorporate a similar clause in my telegram, to the effect that the guilty
Armenians having been punished and only the innocent ones remaining, it was
desired to have the latter spared. I replied that I was absolutely unable to
make any statement in regards to who were guilty and who were innocent, that
perhaps innocent ones had been punished and the guilty ones remained 
unpunished, that I had no means of knowing which were, and that it was 
impossible for me to make a statement of fact in a letter addressed to the
Vilayet either in regard to the shooting of any gendarmes or in regard to the
guilt or innocence of any particular people. I said further that it was quite
irregular for me to address the Vilayet at all in such a matter or to send
any telegram about it, that any such action on my part was purely unofficial
and on the ground of humanity, and that in any case the most I could do was
to make a simple request. He argued and argued and argued that I make some
kind of a statement, even though it might be very little. I don't know that I
ever saw a more persistent man in my life. He remained until half past one in
the morning trying to make me give the Vilayet a statement of some kind. He 
said that orders had already been issued for more severe measures to be taken
ever on the morrow, but he might delay their enforcement a little if I would
make a statement for him. I told him I would be glad to say anything I could,
but I couldn't make any statement about matters foreign to my duties in a 
letter addressed to the Vilayet and couldn't make statements of any kind 
unless I knew the facts. We finally left the matter until morning to think it
over, as he wasn't willing to abandon his idea.

The next morning I sent word to the Chief of Police that as our request was
intended to be made on the occasion of the anniversary of the Constitution
and as that day had now passed it might be well to drop the matter. He would
not take that for an answer, however, so in the afternoon I called to see him.
I told him I couldn't very well write a letter to the Vilayet such as he
wished, but, as I had promised before, I should be very glad to call the
attention of the Embassy to any matters he might wish to write about. He 
decided he would rather tell me than write me (I had been rather surprised 
that he ever agreed to write his request), so I shall probably have a call
from him soon with such requests as he is able to think of in this connection.
I see no harm in writing the Embassy in that way, it being understood that I
am simply communicating such matters as I have been requested to communicate
and that I am not responsible for the truth of anything that I do not know
about personally. The Chief of Police will undoubtedly insist that I report
as facts within my personal knowledge such matters as he may tell me about.
That, of course, I cannot do, although I fear he will be very persistent in
urging something of that kind.

I am inclined to doubt the wisdom of having gone to the Vali at all in regard
to the situation. It was not within the line of my duties and for a consul
might be construed as an improper interference in local affairs. The situation
is so extraordinary and terrible, however, and I have had so much pressure 
brought to bear upon me from the beginning by both Americans and Armenians
to try to do something to help the people that it has been difficult to sit
without making some effort in a friendly way on their behalf. Yet, as the
Embassy has made no reply to my telegrams Nos. 15 and 16, of June 27th and 
28th respectively, in which I suggested that the Embassy do something, if 
possible, to have the enforcement of the order of deportation adjourned and 
spoke of the probable need of funds for the relief of those who were to be 
deported, I assume that the Embassy did not approve of my suggestions. I do 
not know that the original telegrams ever reached the Embassy but my 
confirmation copies mailed on June 29th must have arrived. My own conviction 
is that interference of any kind either here or elsewhere is both hopeless and
unwise under present conditions, but it is a very trying position to be unable
to do anything to relieve so much suffering.

In this connection, I shall be very glad to have any instructions or 
suggestions the Embassy may care to give in regard to proper policy to pursue
and I shall appreciate having the Embassy criticize me freely for making any
errors I may have made in the past. It is often exceedingly difficult to know
what one ought to do and I feel the need of advice.

Referring to Embassy's telegram No. 21, of July 12th, in regard to naturalized
American citizens and the consular staff, I think there is no doubt that
instructions have been received by the local authorities. They may have come 
after I saw the Vali on July 10th. Beginning with the following day there
seemed to be a decided change of attitude toward these citizens and they were 
given permission to stay. In view of the fact that very few had papers in
good order and that some who had such papers had forfeited all claim to
protection as Americans by having alleged on their return to Turkey that they
were Ottoman subjects and concealed the fact of their American citizenship, it
would probably be found on investigation that most if not all of these had no
strict rights. As I understand also that the Turkish Government does not
recognize expatriation, it would probably be quite difficult, especially under
present conditions, to insist too strongly upon such rights. As it is, I have
been able to save a few people and have been glad to be able to do even that
little good. Even that has been far from easy, for notwithstanding the papers
that had been given them by the authorities permitting then to remain some of
them have been driven out of their homes by the gendarmes and their houses
sealed up. The gendarmes refused to pay attention to their papers. Several of
these families have come to the Consulate and I am keeping them here 
temporarily. As soon as it is possible I shall try to find some homes near the
Consulate where they can live until it is possible to leave here in safety.

At the present time it is not possible to travel, for it would mean almost
certain death in spite of any assurances the Government might give. The
killing of the Catholic bishop shows that a safe-conduct is of no value at
this time. Even if the Government wanted to give any one a safe journey I
don't think it could do so. The roads are filled with bands of Kurds and
"cetes" who have been turned loose on travelers and it is a matter of little
importance to whom they rod and kill. I understand that many Turks have been
killed while traveling. It seems as though there is a greater danger of these
people getting beyond all control and overrunning the country. It is far from
safe even in town and any trips outside of the town are attended with
considerable risk.

With reference to Embassy's inquiry in telegram No. 21, of July 12th, as to
why I telegraph in French, I have to say that about a month or so ago the
director of the telegraph office sent me word the he had again received orders
the telegrams in English could not be accepted. I subsequently called his
attention to the fact that the Embassy telegraphed me in English and then I
called his attention to the Embassy's inquiry about the matter in the above
mentioned telegram. He said he would accept telegrams in English, but as none
of them understood English at the telegraph office there might be some delay
in sending them sometimes in case they had to look outside for someone to
censor them. However, I shall try to send them in English and can probably
explain their meaning sufficiently so that there will be no delay in their
leaving.

As the danger of being cut off from communication with the Embassy seems to be
past for the present, I shall not continue sending telegrams, as I suggested
in my dispatch of June 12th (File No. 300), unless there is occasion to do so.
I have no doubt that the occasions when they will be necessary will be
frequent enough.

						I have the honor to be, Sir,
						Your obedient servant,
						signed
						Leslie A. Davis,
						Consul

Source: U.S. National Archives. D.S. Record Group 59, Dec. File No. 867.4016/
269. Refer to _The Slaughterhouse Province, An American Diplomat's Report on
the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1917_, Published by Aristide D. Caratzas, 1989,
ISBN: 0-89241-458-8

Ermeniler Adalet Istiyor! ........................  Armenians Demand Justice!

-- 
David Davidian dbd@urartu.sdpa.org "It has been ever thus in all things, son, 
SDPA Center for Regional Studies    Whatever we thrash we give to the wind, 
P.O. Box 382761                     We too have been blown by the world's wind
Cambridge, MA 02238                 The chaff is gone but the grain remains." 
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