The Washington times., 1915-08-07
MORGENTHAu'S COUP
SAVED 2,0OOLWES
U. S. Envoy Frustrated Plan to
Use Allied Civilians as
Screen for Turks.
BY HENRY WOOD.

CONSTANTlNOPLE, July 8 10y
courier to Dedeagatch. thence by cable
to New YorlO.-By a dramatic move
that aroused even the admiration Of
the Turks. American Ambassador
Morgenthau saved the lives Of 1000 Eng
lish and French civilians. whom Enver
Pasha, Turkeys thirty-threeyear
minister of war. had decided to expose
TO the bombardment of the allied feet
ut the Dardanelles.
The fact that fifty civilian enemies
Of Turkey were actually taken to CALI
poll peninsula to screen the Turks from
hnglo-French Commandment, but were
rescued by the American ambassador,
has been known in Balkan capitals for
some time. But the full story Of Enver
Pasha's scheme and the part the Amer
lean ambassador played In frustrating
it. was only made known here today.
The Turkish war minister. angered by
reports that several undefended Otto
man villages on Gallipoli peninsula had
been shelled by the Anglo-French war
ships. secretly ordered Bedri Bey. chief
Of the Constanttnope police, to collect
all the English and French civilians in
Constantinople and transport them 10
the Dardanclles. His plan was to scat
ter them through the deserted Turkish
villages and then to warn the allied
feet commander that further lombard
ment would result in the death of
Gets Pasha's Promise.
The order was to have been carried
out on a Monday morning. Ambassa-
der Morgenthau by chance learned OF
it on the Sunday evening preceding. He
telephoned a protest to Enver Pasha
at once and obtained from the war
minister a promise that the women and
children at least would be spared, and
finally a reluctant consent to a post.
ponement of the execution of the order
until the following Thursday.
With a three days repriere. Morgen.
| thau rushed cable messages off to Eng
| land and France But these communi.
| route through Washington. and on Wed
| nesday morning no response had reach
| ed the embassy. In desperation the am
bassador again called the war minister
by telephone and asked for an audi
ence
II am sorry" replied Enver Pasha
"but have not single moment vacant
until 4 o'clock. At that time l mus,
attend council Of ministers"
o'clock" was Morgenthau's reply 81
will enter the council Of ministers my,
self and iHsi't on speaking to you"
Admits Action Hasty.
This bold stroke won the day. The
war minister set the appointment for
| o'clock. Ambassador Morgenthau helt
the floor for a full hour. and at tn,
end of that time Enver Pasha admitted
that he had acted too hastily in order
ing the civilians to shell-swept CALI
poll.
But the order already has been giveI
and to withdraw 1t would weaken IN.
discipline" he said. II must at leas
send some people down and make ,
| demonstration"
| Morgenthau suggested sending TWEEN
| ty-hve civilians. Tho Turkish war lead
| er proposed fifty as a compromise. an,
that number had been agreed upol
when they parted.
The American ambassador in perso
supervised the departure the followin
and twenty-six English civilian
collected by the Constantinople police
The scene at the Golden Horn pie
when these men bid farwell I
their friends and relatives an
steamed out to what seemed
them a certain death was one of tn
most affecting ever enacted. At tn
last moment one Of the English minis
ters. who still remained in Constant
spiritua, consolation when the part
faced the warship's fire. Morgentha
sent Hoffman Philip, first SECRETARY {
the embassy to Gallipoli with the prIs
oners to make certain that they weI
provided with food.