The Washington herald., 1922-09-16
OFFICIAL NOTE SENT
Admiral Bristol Ordered
To Help Save Lives
Of Refugees.
$50 AMERICANS -
SAFE IN ATHENS
Destroyers Are Embark
ing Women and Chill
dren for Greek Ports.

The United States government.
apprehensive over the threatening
situation in Asia Minor. took Off
cial action for relief of refugees
in Smyrna and other parts of the
endangered territory.
Telegraphic instructions sent by
the State Department yesterday to
Admiral Mark Bristol. American
commissioner at Constantinople
and to the American ambassadors
at London and Paris, declared:
without assuming any commit
ments. the department desires you.
in consultation with your allied
! colleagues and their military and
naval representatives, TO draw up
and submit Immediately a joint and
| comprehensive plan tor the Smyrna
| emergency"
Discussed by Cabinet.
The subject OF relief plans was
/ discussed by the President and
/ his Cabinet at their meeting yes
terday. Reports were before the
meeting. from the American Red
Cross and Near East Relief. as e
how best TO handle the emergency
! The decision of the Cabinet was
expressed in the text of the in.
] structions to Bristol:
THE department is of the opin.
/ ion that the situation clearly is
/ beyond the scope of any private
| character. Only government ac.
tion by the allies, with the aid oi
| transports for evacuation of refu.
gees can bring about permanen,
relief.
We find that the American pri.
vate relief organizations are ready
| TO cooperate to help meet the i'm.
/ mediate emergency IL some plan
| for permanent relief is developed
and put into opration at once.
America Ready to Help.
Private relief organizations fee,
! that 1t would be idle even to at
tempt temporary amelioratinE Of
situation unless permanent cure is
in sight. All money available
/ would be used up in the first two
or three weeks and the situation
would be just as pressing at the
end Of that time unless this breath
/ ing spell were used to put into
action some comprehensive scheme
to reduce and ultimately solve the
problem.
America is anxious to help but
feels the responsibility is clearly
on governments which have equip
ment and military and naval or
ganizations on the ground that can
be put to work at once"
The action by the State Depart
ment followed receipt of re-
ports both official and semi-officisI
yesterday. declaring Smyrna to be
city of flaming ruins, murder,
terror and pilIage.
Americans Safe I'm Athens.
A dispatch to the State Depart
ment from Athens reported the ar
rival at Piraeus Of the United
States destroyer Simpson. with $50
Americans on board. The Simpson
left Smyrna on September IS, with
Consul General Horton in charge Of
the $50 Americans who were rushed
out of the danger zone upon the
orders Of Captain Hepburn. Ad-
miral Bristol, chief OF staff. who is
in charge Of the American naval
forces at smyrna
Consul General Horton reported
that after much difficulty he ar
ranged for their debarkation and
found temporary quarters for the
INDECENT on board in an empty shin
near the shore. Horton said he and
enough money to last for a few
days.
The Americans included both na-
tive born and naturalized subjects
and with them were some of their
dependent relatives