In one of his first critical dispatches to the Department of State, dated 30 April 1915, Morgenthau wrote- “Continued reports of persecutions, plunder and massacres of Armenians in certain parts of empire had been received.” This was followed by an 18 June dispatch reporting back to the Department the Ottoman response to his delivery of the 24 May joint note issued by England, France, and Russia, accusing the Young Turk government of “crimes against civilization and humanity,” which Morgenthau stated that he “communicated on June third to the Grand Vizier who expressed regret at being held personally responsible and resentment at attempted interference by foreign governments with the sovereign rights of the Turkish government over their Armenian subjects.” He concluded the message by saying- “Meanwhile persecution against Armenians increasing in severity.” On 10 July he reported, “Persecution of Armenians assuming unprecedented proportions.” Reports from widely scattered districts indicate systematic attempt to uproot peaceful Armenian populations and through arbitrary arrests, terrible tortures, wholesale expulsions and deportations from one end of the Empire to the other accompanied by frequent instances of rape, pillage, and murder, turning into massacres to bring destruction and destitution [upon] them.”
Excerpt from J.M. Winter (ed.), America and the Armenian Genocide of 1915, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004.
by hadassah | Apr 15, 2008 | Returning and Redemption