The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-05-02

r. n billings, the American MIL
lionairs. nearly avertcd the world war
ry his offer to lend Turkey enough
money, early III 1914, to get that gov
eminent out Of the clutches OF Ger
n,auy. The startling disclosure OF lbs
t-tp TO constantinople by private yacht'
and Of his arrival just too late TO saw .
the Turk from being trrevocan!y caoen
in the German net, is revealed by 'ne
former American Ambassador TO ruF-
kew, Henry Morgeuthau, In his own
story In the worlds Work for may
Just published
Before tho outbreak CT the war, IN
1913, the Turkish treasury found NseN
depleted. Further than that, the men
in control of TURKEY were not ANXIOUS
TO borrow from any of the European ma
rions. most Of which had ambitions not
entirely acceptable to turkey. Mr. nof-
Eonthau tells the story as follows;
In late December 1913, Bustany Ell
fend!, a Christian Arab, and minister OF
commerce and agriculture VINO sPoAe
English ducntly-he had been iurH1sn
commissioner to the chicago "of1o
fair IN lssa-caled and approached mo
ON tho question Of an American loan
.Bustany asked If there were not Ameri-
charge Of the reorganization Of Turkish
finance. His plea was really cry OF
despair and It touched me deeply. But
I had beeen in Turkey only SIX weeks:
obviously had no Information on Whlch
could recommend such large con-
tract to American bankers. Talaat, the
strong man of Turkey, came to ME Few
days later, and suggested that 1 make q
PROLONGED tour over the empire anu
study the situation Mt first hand. Mean
while he asked II could not arrange a
small temporary loan to tide them over
tho interim. He said there was abso-
lutely no money in the Turkish treas
ury; tf could only get them s5,ooo,ooo,
That would satisfy them. I told TalaaI
. that would try to set this money ior
them and that I would adopt his sug-
gestion and inspect his empire with Ihe
possible idea Of interesting American IN
restors. After obtaining tho consent
of the state department I wrote to my
nephow and business associate, Mr.. Rob-
ert z, Simon, asking him to sound GER
tain New York institutions on making
4 small short-tine couatcrn1 loan TO
Turkey. Mr.. Slsons Investigations dis
cIoeed that n Turkish loan did not seem
, to be regarded as natttractivc business
undertaking In New York. Mr.. Simon
wrote, however, that Mr.. C. X. g. Bill
linEs had shown much interest In the
idea: and that, II desired, Mr. Billings
would como ont in his yacht and discuss
the matter with the Turkish cabinet. In
n few days n1r. Billings had started to-
ward Constantinoplc.
The news Of Mr. Billings approach
spread with great rapidity all over the
Turkish capital; the fact that he was
coming in his own private yacht seemed
10 magnify the Importance and the
Rlanor Of the event. That great
American millionaire was prepared to
reinforce the depleted Turkish treas
ury and that this support was merely
the preliminary step In the reorgautza-
ton of Turkish finances by American
capitalists produced tremendous hut
ter in tho foreign embassies. SO rapid
" did tho information spread, indeed,
that I rather suspected that the Turkish
cabinet had taken no particular pains
to keep 1t secret. This suspicion was
ST strengthened by a visit which I re-
ceived from the Chief Rabbi Nahoum,
who informed me that he had come at
,, the request Of Talaat. There Is ru-
NOR" said tho Chief Rabbi, THAT Amer
leans are about to make q loan to Tur-
key. Talaat would be greatly pleased
If You would not contradict It." Wan
genhei1n. the German Ambassador, dis
played an almost hysterical interest; the
Idea Of America coming to tho fnan-
cial assistance OF Turkey did not fall
in with his plans at all; in his eyes
Turkeys poverty was chiefly valuable
as q means Of forcing the empire into
! Gernnuy's hnnds. One day showed
Wangenheim n book containing etchlngs