From: dbd@urartu.sdpa.org (David Davidian)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast,talk.politics.soviet,soc.history
Subject: U.S. Consular Report of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians 2/5
Summary: United States Archive RG 59
Date: 14 Aug 92 05:07:18 GMT
Organization: S.D.P.A. Center for Regional Studies

This posting is PART 2 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. 

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 2/5				- - -

Honorable Henry Morgenthau		American Consulate
American Ambassador			Mamouret-ul-Aziz (Harput), Turkey
Constantinople				July 11, 1915

Sir:

I have the honor to supplement my report of June 30th (File No. 840.1) in
regard to the expulsion of the Armenians from this region, as follows:

On July 1st a great many people left and on July 3rd several thousand more
started from here. Others left on subsequent days. There is no way of 
obtaining figures but many thousands have already left. The departure of those
living at Harput was postponed, however, and many women and children were
allowed to remain temporarily. People began to hope that the worst was over
and that those who remained might be left alone. Now it has just been 
announced by public crier that on Tuesday, July 13th, every Armenian without
exception, must go.

If it were simply a matter of being obliged to leave here and go somewhere
else it would not be so bad, but everyone knows it is a case of going to one's
death. If there was any doubt about it, it has been removed by the arrival of
a number of parties, aggregating several thousand people, from Erzurum and 
Erzincan. The first ones arrived a day or two after my last report was 
written. I have visited their encampment a number of times and talked with
some of the people. A more pitiable sight cannot be imagined. They were almost
without exception ragged, filthy, hungry and sick. This is not surprising in
view of the fact that they have been on the road for nearly two months with
no change of clothing, no chance to wash, no shelter and little to eat. I
watched them one time when their food was brought. Wild animals could not be
worse. They rushed upon the guards who carried the food and the guards beat
them back with clubs hitting hard enough to kill them sometimes. To watch them
one could hardly believe that these people were human beings.

As one walks through the camp mothers offer their children and beg one to take
them. In fact, Turks have been taking their choice of these children and girls
for slaves, or worse. In fact, they have even had their doctors there to
examine the more likely girls and thus secure the best ones.

There are very few men among them, as most have been killed on the road. All
tell the same story of having been attacked and robbed by the Kurds. Most of
them were attacked over and over again and a great many of them, especially
the men were killed. Women and children were also killed. Many died, of 
course, from sickness and exhaustion on the way and there have been deaths
each day that they have been there. Several different parties have arrived
and after remaining a day or two have been pushed with no apparent 
destination. Those who have reached here are only a small portion, however, of
those who started. By continuing to drive these people people on in this way
it will be possible to dispose of all of them in a comparatively short time.
Among those with whom I have talked were three sisters. They had been educated
at Constantinople and spoke excellent English. They said their family was the
richest in Erzurum and numbered twenty-five when they left but there were
now only fourteen survivors. The other eleven, including the husband of one of
them, and their old grandmother had been butchered before their eyes by the
Kurds. The oldest male survivor of the family was eight years of age. When 
they left Erzurum they had money, horses and personal effects but they had
been robbed of everything, including even their clothing. They said some of 
them had been left absolutely naked and other with only a single garment. When
they reached a village their gendarmes obtained clothes for them from some of 
the native women. Another girl with whom I talked is the daughter of the
Protestant pastor of Erzurum. She said every member of her family with her had
been killed and she was left entirely alone. These and some others are a few
survivors of the better class of people who have been exiled. They are being
detained in an abandoned schoolhouse just outside of town and on one is 
allowed to enter it. They say they practically are in prison, although they
were allowed to visit a spring just outside the building. I was there I
happened to see them. All others are camped in a large open field with no
protection at all from the sun.

The condition of these people indicated clearly the fate of those who have
left and are about to leave from here. I believe nothing has been heard from
any of them as yet and probably very little will be heard. The system that is
being followed seems to be to have bands of Kurds awaiting them on the roads
to kill the men especially and incidentally some of the others. The entire 
movement seems to be the thoroughly organized and effective massacre this
country has ever seen.

Not many men have been spared, however, to accompany those who are being sent
into exile, for a more prompt and sure method has been used to dispose of
them. Several thousand Armenian men been arrested during the past few weeks.
These have been put into prison and each time that several hundred had been
gathered up in that way they were sent away during the night. The first lot
was sent during the night of June 23rd. Among them were some of the professors
at the American college and other prominent Armenians, including the Prelate
of the Armenian Gregorian Church of Harput. There have been frequent rumors 
that all of these were killed and there is little doubt that they were. All 
Armenian soldiers [In the Turkish army] have likewise been sent away in the
same manor. They have been arrested and confined in a building at one end of
the town.

No distinction has been made between those who had paid their military 
exemption tax and those who had not. There money was accepted and then were
arrested and sent off with the others. It was said that they were to go
somewhere to work on the roads but no one has heard from them and that is
undoubtedly false.

The fate of all the others has been pretty well established by reliable
reports of a similar occurrence on Wednesday, Jult 7th. On Monday many men 
were arrested both at Harput and Mezreh and put in prison. At daybreak Tuesday
morning they were taken out and made to march toward an almost uninhabited
mountain. There were about eight hundred in all and they were tied together in
groups of fourteen each. That afternoon they arrived in a small Kurdish
village where they were kept over night in the mosque and other buildings.
During this time they were without food or water. On Wednesday morning they
were taken to a valley a few hours distant where they were all made to sit
down. Then the gendarmes began shooting them until they had killed nearly all
of them. Some who had not been killed by bullets were then disposed of with
knives and bayonets. A few succeeded in breaking the rope with which they were
tied to their companions and running away, but most of these were pursued and
killed. A few succeeded in getting away, probably not more than two or three.
Among those who were killed was the Treasurer of the American College. Many
other estimable men were among the number. No charge of any kind had ever
been made against any of these men. They were simply arrested and killed as
part of the general plan to dispose of the Armenian race.

Last night several hundred more men, including both men arrested by the civil
authorities and those enrolled as soldiers, were taken in a different
direction and murdered in a similar manner. It is said this happened at a
place not two hours' distance from here. I shall ride out that way some day
when things become a little quieter and try to verify it for myself.

The same thing has been done systematically in the villages.

A few weeks ago about three hundred men were gathered together at Ichme and
Haboosi, two villages four and five hours' distant from here, and then taken
up to the mountains and massacred. This seems to be fully established. Many
women from those villages have been here since and told about it. There have
been rumors of similar occurrences in other places.

There seems to be a definite plan to dispose of all the Armenians men, but
after the departure of the families during the first few days of the
enforcement of the order it was announced that women and children with no men
in the family might remain here for the present and many hoped that the worst
was over. The American missionaries began considering plans to aid the women
and children who would be left here with no means of support. It was thought
that perhaps an orphanage could be opened to care for some of the children
especially those who had been born in America and then brought here by their
parents and also those who belonged to parents who had been connected with the
American Mission and schools. There would be plenty of opportunity, although
there might not be sufficient means, to care for children who reached here
with the exiles from other Vilayets and whose parents had died along the way.
I went to the Vali about this matter yesterday and was met with a flat 
refusal. He said we could aid these people if we wished to do so, but the
Government was establishing orphanages for the children and we could not
undertake any work of that nature. An hour after I left the Vali the
announcement was made that all the Armenians remaining here, including women
and children must leave on July 13th.

The evident plan of the Government is to give no opportunity for any
educational or religious work to be done here by foreign missionaries. Some
Armenian women will be taken as Moslem wives and some children will be
brought up as Moslem, but none of them will be allowed to come under foreign
influences. The country is to be purely Moslem and nothing else. Some of the
missionaries think they would like to remain here and try to work among 
Moslems. I not only think it would be very dangerous for them to undertake
it but do not believe they will be allowed to do anything among [sic] that 
line. I shall not be surprised, as I have said before, if all the American
missionaries are ordered to leave here in the near future. If they are not,
they will be so effectually prevented from doing any kind of work that will
be entirely useless for them to remain here. Furthermore, they will be annoyed
in many ways by the local officials. I do not think for a moment that they
will be allowed to open any of the schools again and it's quite probable that
the hospital may be ordered closed. It is very probable also that both the
school and the hospital buildings may be seized by the Government. It seems
certain that there will not be any work for them to do here and that they will
not be permitted to do any work.

Under the circumstances, I think the only wise and safe thing for them to do
is to consider the matter of leaving here, temporarily as least, as soon as
it may be possible. I realize that it is a serious matter for them to abandon
their work, but the present situation is serious too and I fully believe there
is nothing else for them to do. I would probably not be best for all of them
to leave together, but I am going to advise that some of them leave as soon
as it may be safe to go. In the meantime I earnestly recommend that the
Embassy bring to the attention of Mr. Peet and the board the possible 
necessity of all of them leaving here.

I do no think that any of them should go now. In fact, some of them have been
quite firmly of the opinion that some one should go at once for the purpose
of trying to raise a relief fund for these unfortunate people. To go now
would be almost certain death, with bands of Kurds awaiting travelers on every
road. I asked the Vali, however, if it would be all right for one or two of
the Americans to leave here now to go to Constantinople and then to America
and he said very plainly that it would not be safe. He said that no matter how
much a guard he gave them it would be dangerous for them to travel at the
present moment and advised waiting a few weeks. This confirms the general fear
as to the fate of those who are sent away from here. It also indicated that
perhaps the authorities do not wish any real harm to befall the Americans. On
the other hand, the Vali intimated that possibly the Americans might not be
permitted to leave here. Some of them think that we know too much about what 
is happening in the interior of Turkey and the authorities do not intend to
let any Americans leave here alive to tell about it. I do no think that, but I
do think the life of every American here is in danger and that the danger is
increasing. If all of the missionaries can get away safely I shall feel
greatly relieved. It is not only that he present situation is very critical,
but they are doing things that are more or less imprudent. The entire colony
may suffer for the imprudence of one person. It is quite natural that they
should sympathize with the people among whom they have been working and want
to aid and protect them, but there is greater dander of carrying their zeal
too far and getting into trouble themselves.

With reference to the need of funds for the relief of these exiles, which I
mentioned in my telegrams of June 27th and 28th and my dispatch of June 30th
I am inclined to believe that there will be no occasion for raising funds.
It looks as though there were not going to be any people who can be helped.
All who are sent away will probably be killed or die on the road within the
next few months and the women and children who are left will probably have to
become Moslems.

My attention has just been called to the fact that the post office at
Mamouret-ul-Aziz has refused to pay out money to the Americans that has been
sent them from Erzurum and Erzincan for the exiles who have come here. It is
probable that the Government will confiscate this money. I do not know whether
the Embassy would care to take any measures about this or not. The money is
addressed to the Americans, but it is intended for the Armenian exiles.

Embassy's telegrams Nos. 19 and 20 have been received. I have seen the Vali
about the naturalized American citizens and their children and about the
consular staff. He said he had received no instructions about them, as I 
telegraphed this morning. I have now just received word that the consular
staff and two or three women whose husbands are in America may stay here for 
the present. There seems nothing very definite about any of it. I shall be 
very glad to have these women leave as soon as it is reasonably safe for them 
to go. I hope it can be arranged for the employees of the Consulate, however,
to remain here permanently, or at least as long as there may be a Consulate.
It would be impossible to find any one to take their place.

						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/
122. 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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