Appeal from the Catholicos of the Armenian Church to protect Armenians, April 27, 1915

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Telegram Sent. Department of State, Washington April 27, 1915, 7:00 P.M. Am[erican]embassy, Constantinople. Russian Ambassador has brought to our attention an appeal made by the Catholicos of the Armenian Church that this Government use its good offices with the Turkish Government to prevent the massacre of non-combatant Armenians in Turkish territory. You will please bring the matter to the attention of the government, urging upon it the use of effective means for the protection of Armenians from violence at the hands of those of other religions. The Russian Ambassador calls attention to the fact that there are many Mussulmans in Russian territory and that these enjoy immunity from religious persecution. [William Jennings] Bryan

Report of Allied warning to the Ottoman government to stop the massacres of Armenians, May 29, 1915
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Telegram Sent. Department of State, Washington May 29, 1915 Am[erican]embassy, Constantinople. French Foreign Office requests following notice be given Turkish Government. Quote. May 24th. For about a month the Kurd and Turkish population of Armenia has been massacring Armenians with the connivance and often assistance of Ottoman authorities. Such massacres took place in middle April (?) at Erzerum, Dertchun, Eguine, Akn, Bitlis, Mouch, Sassoun, Zeitoun, and through Cilicia. Inhabitants of about one hundred villages near Van were all murdered. In that city Armenian quarter is besieged by Kurds. At the same time in Constantinople government ill treats inoffensive Armenian population. In view of these new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization the Allied governments announce publicly to the Sublime Porte that they will hold personally responsible these crimes all members of the Ottoman government and those of their agents who are implicated in such massacres. Unquote. (signed) [William Jennings] Bryan

Secretary of State Robert Lansing's response to news that Ottoman Turkey is pursuing a policy of genocide against the Armenians, July 16, 1915
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Telegram Sent. Department of State, Washington July 16, 1915 Am[erican]embassy, Constantinople. Your 841. July tenth. Department approves your procedure in pleading with Turkish Minister of Interior and Minister of War to stop Armenian persecution and in attempting to enlist sympathies of German and Austrian Ambassadors in this cause. The Department can offer no additional suggestions relative to this most difficult situation other than that you continue to act as in the past. Have any native born American citizens or any naturalized American citizens entitled to protection under American statutes received injuries during this trouble? (signed) [Robert] Lansing

Report on the deportation of Armenians from Zeitun, July 21, 1915

American Embassy, Constantinople July 21, 1915 The Honorable The Secretary of State, Washington. Sir:I have the honor to transmit herewith two copies of a report received from the American Consul General at Beirut relative to what has been going on in the Zeitoon region of Asiatic Turkey. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (signed) [U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry] Morgenthau Enclosure: Two copies dated June 20.

Duplicate

A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE PRESENT SITUATION OF THE ARMENIAN EXILES IN THIS REGION, JUNE 20, 1915. ************ The deportation began some six weeks ago, with 180 families from Zeitoon; since which time, all the inhabitants of that place and its neighboring villages have been deported: also most of the Christians in Albustan, many from Hadgin, Sis, Kars Pasar, Hassan Beyli and Deort Yol. The numbers involved are approximately, to date, 26,500. Of these about 5,000 have been sent to the Konieh region, 5,500 are in Aleppo and surrounding towns and villages; and the remainder are in Der Zor, Racca, and various places in Mesopotamia, even as far as the neighborhood of Bagdad. The process is still going on, and there is no telling how far it may be carried, the orders already issued will bring the number in this region up to 32,000, and there have been as yet none exiled from Aintab, and very few from Marash and Oorfah. The following is the text of the Government order covering the case. Art. 2nd. "The Commanders of the Army, of independent army corps and of divisions may, in case of military necessity and in case they suspect espionage or treason, send away, either or in mass, the inhabitants of villages and towns, and install them in other places." The orders of Commanders may have been reasonably humane, but the execution of them has been for the most part unnecessarily harsh, and in many cases accompanied by horrible brutality to women and children, to the sick and the aged. Whole villages were deported at an hours notice, with no opportunity to prepare for the journey, not even in some cases to gather together the scattered members of the family, so that little children were left behind. At the mountain village of Geben the women were at the wash tub, and were compelled to leave their wet clothes in the water, and take the road barefooted and half clad just as they were. In some cases they were able to carry part of their scanty household furniture, or implements of agriculture, but for the most part they were neither to carry anything nor to sell it, even where there was time to do so. In Hadgin well to do people, who had prepared food and bedding for the road, were obliged to leave it in the street, and afterward suffered greatly from hunger. In many cases the men were (those of military age were nearly all in the army) bound tightly together with ropes or chains. Women with little children in their arms, or in the last days of pregnancy were driven along under the whip like cattle. Three different cases came under my knowledge where the woman was delivered on the road, and because her brutal driver hurried her along she died of hemorrhage. I also know of one case where the gendarme in charge was a humane man, and allowed the poor woman several hours rest and then procured a wagon for her to ride in. Some women became so completely worn out and hopeless that they left their infants beside the road. Many women and girls have been outraged. At one place the commander of the gendarmerie openly told the men to whom he consigned a large company, that they were at liberty to do what they choose with the women and girls. As to subsistence, there has been a great difference in different places. In some places the Government has fed them, in some places it has permitted the inhabitants to feed them. In some places it has neither fed them nor permitted others to do so. There has been much hunger, thirst and sickness and some real starvation, and death. These people are being scattered in small units, three or four families in a place, among a population of different race and religion, and speaking a different language. I speak of them as being composed of families, but four fifths of them are women and children, and what men there are are for the most part old or incompetent. If a means is not found to aid them through the next few months, until they get established in their new surroundings, two thirds or three fourths of them will die of starvation and disease.

Reflections on the role of Talaat Pasha in

the Armenian Genocide, September 7, 1921

AMERICAN CONSULATE Aleppo, Syria, September 7, 1921. Subject: Assassination of Talaat Pasha The Honorable The Secretary of State. Washington Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, in duplicate, a copy of an article appearing in "The Literary Digest for July 20, 1921", in reference to the assassination in Berlin, Germany, of Talaat Pasha, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, by Solomon Teilirian, an Armenian, relative of some of the million or more victims of the deportations in Turkey during the war. The attention of the Department is respectfully drawn to the substance of the various telegraphic instructions from Talaat Pasha to the different Turkish officials, especially in Aleppo, the character of the said instructions being such as would indicate that few if any of the victims should have survived. But notwithstanding the severity thereof, 146,924 deported Armenians were found in Syria and Mesopotamia in 1919, as reported in my despatch No. 395 dated August 22, 1919 (File No. 349.1,) their existence being due principally to the activities of this Consulate. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (signed) Jesse Jackson Consul. Enclosures: Copy of newspaper article, in duplicate.

Report by a resident of Syria on the condition of Armenian deportees, November 27, 1916
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SECRET Addendum to "Report of an inhabitant of Athlit, Mount Carmel, Syria." [November 27, 1916] The writer, when speaking of the treatment meted out to the Armenians by the Turks since the beginning of the war, fears that he will be accused of exaggeration. He has kept this view when describing atrocities committed by the Turks.

The writer has not been in Armenia proper, but has lived in Syria since the war began and has visited Konia and Constantinople, and has many acquaintances, including Germans. The first news of the massacres. Turkish policy. Opinion of local Germans. During October and December 1915 several Germans, established as farmers in Palestine, returned to Haifa and Jaffa, and they were the first to bring the news of wholesale massacres among the Armenians. Nothing had been said on the subject in the Syrian and Palestinian press. At first these Germans maintained that they knew little about the matter, that they had only heard some reports which they considered very exaggerated. But from these and other Germans he met at Damascus he gathered that the Germans themselves thought that the Turks had determined to exterminate all the Armenians with the exception of about half a million. The Germans at that time, to give them their due, were horrified at the thought of such wholesale slaughter; there was however a notable exception, a Major Pohl, who was heard to say that he was sorry that as many as half a million Armenians should be spared. A number of Germans in Palestine sent their families away, openly saying that the Turk might one day treat Germans as they were then using the Armenians. Armenians dying along the railway. There were a number of reports of thousands of Armenians lying dead by the side of the railway between Anatolia and Syria, and the writer is able to corroborate these rumours by accounts given by his sister, who travelled from Constantinople to Palestine in December 1915. The state of Armenians ordered south. She saw the bodies of hundreds of Armenian men, women and children lying on both sides of the railway. Sometimes Turkish women were seen searching the corpses for anything that might be of value, at other times dogs were observed feeding on the bodies. There were hundreds of bleached skeletons. At either Gulek or Osmania she saw thousands of starving and fever stricken Armenians. They had been ordered southward, but had been provided with no transport and had been waiting there for weeks. They were lying about the station, on the sides and some on the track itself. Some were jostled on to the line when the train arrived, and the engine ran over them, to the joy of the engine driver, who shouted to his friends: "Did you see how I smashed about of these Armenian swine?". Attitude of Turkish officers. The writer's sister fainted at the sight, and on recovery two Turkish Officers, speaking French, remonstrated with her on her lack of patriotism, since the Armenians were enemies. She also gives details of the misery and death caused by over-crowding railway carriages and trucks when transport was from time to time provided. Typhus. The greatest havoc was caused by typhus. Those who died from it were left unburied for days. One reason for this, as given to the writer by a superior Turkish Officer, was to increase infection in order that there should be greater mortality among the living. The Armenians however can claim some revenge, for the plague naturally did not confine itself to Armenians only, and the whole country through which these refugees passed was devastated; the writer saw dozens of villages in Syria empty of all inhabitants, killed off by typhus. No sanitary measures to combat the epidemic were taken. Property plundered. The Armenians were ordered from their homes at the shortest notice, and no time was given for them to provide transport for their belongings or to dispose of their property. The Turks took possession of all, and relieved the unfortunate people of such things as they attempted to carry with them. Lack of road transport. The demand for road transport became so great that prices ran to a prohibitive height. The writer saw thousands of Armenians near Hassan-Beyli, in the Taurus mountains, lying out in the snow waiting for vehicles, and the same state of things prevailed at Aleppo and other transfer stations. There was no organization to meet the situation created by the forcible evacuation of the Armenian population, partly the result of Turkish incompetence, and partly through deliberate neglect. Foreign public opinion. Djemal Pasha. After a time European and more especially American public opinion began to be heard on the subject of Armenians, and upon this Djemal Pasha (the Great!) went to Constantinople and insisted that the massacres should cease, urging that it was not only a crime but a mistake. In addition he foresaw that useful source of

forced labour could be tapped for his public works in Syria and Palestine. It was reported that Talaat was not disposed at first to listen, but that Djemal was powerful enough to over-ride opposition, and it is said that in this way the lives of over 100,000 Armenians were spared, but only on the condition that they should be sent to Syria. Djemal Pasha was promptly nicknamed the "Armenian Pasha" in Constantinople, but the Armenians were grateful and neutral ambassadors were duly impressed. The Armenians, wishing to show their appreciation of Djemal Pasha's action and being prohibited from uttering their thanks, decided to march past his house in Constantinople in silence, and in this manner 40,000 Armenians paraded in front of Djemal, who stood on the balcony of his house for three hours with his arms folded like Napoleon the Great. The train by which Djemal returned to Syria was frequently stopped for him to receive the thanks of Armenians, which, however, the writer thinks were given by order; in fact the writer considers that the whole of Djemal's action was a mere farce to impress the outside world, and to increase the importance of Djemal. The treatment of the Armenians under Djemal's administration confirms him in this opinion. Armenians under Djemal. Djemal having thus got a large number of Armenians into his clutches decided to send them to remote parts of Syria and Palestine. The writer considers that his motive for this action was to prevent them from contaminating the existing population, and also to minimize the chances of neutrals witnessing their treatment. They were sent to various camps where 3,000 to 5,000 were herded together, and the writer visited such camps in Hauran, Adflun, and south-east of the Dead Sea. Armenian camps. The inmates of these camps are entirely dependent on food and water supplied by Government; they were forbidden to enter towns or villages, or to work for pay; they were made to live in the desert. Men, women and children were put to hard labour, and each working man or woman received 2d. a day. That was their sole income on which they had to live. In some cases there was no water near than 6 miles, and it had to be brought to the camp by rail. The trains frequently failed to run; the fact that there was a war in progress was a convenient excuse and was made to cover deliberate neglect. The writer has seen an overdue train, carrying water, arrive. The Armenians, parched with thirst, rushed to the halting place, each carrying an earthen jar or a tin. As soon as the train stopped it was besieged by the mob, which was beaten back by the Turkish guard with the butt end of their rifles. The crowd being thrust back, all the taps of the tanks were then turned on and the water allowed to run to waste in full view of the hundreds who were dying for want of it. The administration duly despatched water to the desert, and that was enough as far as Djemal Pasha and his friends were concerned; an accident might have happened subsequently, but that was no fault of theirs - such was the view taken of the above incident by Djemal when he heard of it, according to a report which reached the writer. Hunger and thirst swept away half the numbers in these camps in a few weeks. Those that lived led a wretched existence; all family life had been broken up; husbands, wives, children had been separated, and there was no means of finding out what had become of those who were missing. Immorality flourished; sanitation in its most elementary form did not exist. In the meantime Djemal loudly proclaimed that he was colonizing waste lands with thrifty Armenians, which was enough for the inspired press of the Central Powers to give out to the world that in the last two years Syria and Palestine under Djemal's administration had flourished more than in the whole of the preceding 50 years. A flat refusal was given to representatives of neutral countries who asked to go to Syria to witness the conditions under which the Armenians lived. Slave markets. In the track of the Armenians, as they were driven along, female slave markets were established. The price of an Armenian girl from 12 to 14 years of age was from 2 mejidias to 1 (Turkish). The writer saw such a market in Damascus, and he was told by his relatives in Aleppo, and by American Missionaries, that thousands of young girls had been sold in open markets. The so-called intellectual leaders of the Moslem world, the Khojas, Ulemas, Padis, and Muftis, were not slow to avail themselves of the opportunities that these markets offered,

and these frequently saved their pockets and increased the numbers of their slaves by claiming to have made converts, in which case no money transaction was demanded. Conversion to Islam. These alleged converts were usually young women, who were driven into harems, ostensibly for the purpose of being instructed in the "true faith"! Conversion to Islam was attempted on a large scale, among men as well as women, and with some success amongst those Armenians from certain parts of the Caucasus who had long practiced Turkish customs, and whose belief in Christianity was not deeply rooted. But the writer knows of a number of educated and wealthy Armenians of Constantinople and the coast towns who have professed their conversion. The latter seem, however, to have taken this step in the hope of preserving at least some of their property from confiscation. Wholesale massacres. So far, a description has been given of the destruction of the Armenian nation by organized deportation, accompanied by neglect and by the unchecked butchery of men and boys. The usual method employed was to organize labour battalions in which boys and men were collected together, and these were sent under a guard of about 20 Turkish solders to some out-of-the-way place, where no provision was made for rations or water. The guard were given orders to use their rifles without hesitation in case of desertion, or any sign of mutiny, on the part of those put under their charge. After a day or two the guard would return alone. The story given was either that the Armenians as a whole attempted to desert, or that there had been a mutiny, and that the guard in self-defence had been compelled to kill the lot. The writer never witnessed such a scene himself, but he had reports from trustworthy sources. One of his informants was an Armenian who, speaking and dressing like a Turk, had travelled from Armenia to Jaffa. There he mixed with a number of Turkish soldiers who had just executed the butchery of about 400 Armenians in the manner described above, and who regaled him with many repulsive details. This man on the following day came upon a heap of murdered Armenians, and journeying on to Aleppo he made a full report of his experience to the American Consul there. German opinion. The writer discussed these murders with German officers in Constantinople, and they admitted that they were entirely and unfortunately true. Armenians in Constantinople. Orders were issued that only Armenians who had been born in Constantinople would be allowed to remain there. This was a signal for a house-to-house search by the police, as well as arrests in the open streets. The witness has seen batches of Armenians being led through the streets, the victims of the zeal of the police in fulfilling this order. The raids are usually carried out at night, but he saw a wealthy and influential Armenian arrested in broad daylight and hurried away. Nothing more is seen or heard of those whom the police take. Unfortunately there are some Armenians who act as police spies and sell their countrymen. The writer can give details of hundreds of young Armenian girls who have become prostitutes in Constantinople - the only means left to them by which they can support their parents. One he quotes in particular, a well-bred girl recently married, whose husband was killed before her eyes, and who was driven to her present position only after months of struggling to live decently. The massacres continue. Lately there has not been so much heard of Armenian massacres, but they continu[e] nevertheless; it is only that there are fewer means by which the outside world can hear of them. The writer considers that the reason for this treatment of the Armenians is that they are an easy prey, and that Mohammedans, rich or poor, high or low, are by nature wedded to murder and robbery. The Turk in addition is still an invader who treats others under his power as subject races. The Armenians morally and economically are utterly ruined; probably the most industrious and thrifty race in the Turkish Empire (and it is a Jew who described them as such) has ceased to exist.

Memorandum by the Committee of Union and Progress outlining the strategy for

implementing the Armenian Genocide, 1914-1915

COPY MEMORANDUM OF THE "TEN COMMANDMENTS" OF THE COMMITTEE OF UNION AND PROGRESS. ................ ooOoo................ Just before Christmas, I was approached confidentially by someone who stated that there was still in the Direction of Public Security, Constantinople, an official who has been in the Minister of the Interior's Department during the whole of the war, and who had charge of the archives relating to the secret measures and orders issued by the Minister of the Interior as a result of the decisions taken by the Committee of Union and Progress. He said that just before the Armistice, officials had been going to the archives department at night and making a clean sweep of most of the documents, but that the original draft of the orders relating to the Armenian massacres had been saved and could probably be procured by us through him on payment of Ltq. 10,000 paper money. He pledged me to secrecy if I went any further in the matter. In the course of the next few weeks, I followed the matter up. The man who stole or rescued this draft copy is today an official in the Direction of Public Security. I persuaded him without any great difficulty that it would be in his own interests to let us have the documents without payment, and that if in the future he gets into trouble, we would protect him. There are four documents in this dossier. The first is what is called the "Ten Commandments" and is by far the most interesting. It is unsigned and is the rough draft, but the handwriting is said to be that of Essad Bey, who was at the time one of the confidential secretaries keeping secret archives in the Ministry of the Interior. The second document which is a decypher of a wire from Ahmed Djemal Pasha in Syria regarding the Armenian expulsion is in the actual handwriting of Ahmet Essad and undoubtedly the handwriting of these two documents numbers 1 and 2 in the original Turkish are of that of one and the same man. There remains therefore only the arrest of this individual to prove up to the hilt the authenticity of otherwise of the draft "Ten Commandments" document. It is extremely important from the point of view of bringing home their guilt to all those responsible for the Armenian massacres, who directed rather than executed them. My informant states that at the meeting when this draft was drawn up, there were present Talaat Pasha, Dr. Beheddin, Shakir, Dr. Nazim, Ismail Jambolet and Colonel Sefi, sub-Director of the Political Section at the Ministry of War; its date is given as December or January 1914 or 1915. My informant declares that messengers were sent to the different Vali's in the provinces with instructions to read these orders to them and then return the originals which were to be destroyed. Analysis of the documents the "Ten Commandments" numbers 3 and 4 shows that in order to economize their forces, the Turks distinguished between places where they could rely on the population to go ahead with the massacres almost unaided, and other localities where they felt it required the presence of the military in case the population did not show sufficient zeal.

VERBATIM TRANSLATION. DOCUMENTS RELATING TO COMIT UNION AND PROGRES ORGANIZATION IN THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES. ................ ooOoo................

1. The 10 commandments of the COMIT UNION AND PROGRES. (1). Profiting by Arts: 3 and 4 of Comit Union and Progres, close all Armenian Societies, and arrest all who worked against Government at any time among them and send them into the provinces such as Bagdad or Mosul, and wipe them out either on the road or there. (2). Collect arms. (3). Excite Moslem opinion by suitable and special means, in places as Van, Erzeroum, Adana, where as a point of fact the Armenians have already won the hatred of the Moslems, provoke organised massacres as the Russians did at Baku. (4). Leave all executive to the people in the provinces such as Erzeroum, Van, Mumuret ul Aziz, and Bitlis, and use Military disciplinary forces (i.e. Gendarmerie) ostensibly to stop massacres, while on the contrary in places as Adana, Sivas, Broussa, Ismidt and Smyrna actively help the Moslems with military force. (5). Apply measures to exterminate all males under 50, priests and teachers, leave girls and children to be Islamized. (6). Carry away the families of all who succeed in escaping and apply measures to cut them off from all connection with their native place. (7). On the ground that Armenian officials may be spies, expel and drive them out absolutely from every Government department or post. (8). Kill off in an appropriate manner all Armenians in the Army - this to be left to the military to do. (9) All action to begin everywhere simultaneously, and thus leave no time for preparation of defensive measures. (10). Pay attention to the strictly confidential nature of these instructions, which may not go beyond two or three persons. n.b. Above is verbatim translation - date December 1914 or January 1915.

Report on the forced exile of the remaining Armenians from Aintab and Marash, November 15, 1922
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BRITISH CONSULATE ALEPPO, 15 November 1922 My Lord, SITUATION IN TURKISH DISTRICTS NEAR SYRIAN NORTHERN FRONTIER.I have the honour to report that on November 8 the Turks gave notice to the Armenians of Aintab & Marash and of the district, stretching Eastward to Birejik, that they must all leave the country in a month. This is done in pursuance of the policy that no Christians are to be allowed to stay in Turkey. Aintab which formerly held 40000 Armenians now contains only 3000.

The French Consular Representative in Aintab, Mr. de Sandfort, has been transferred to Adana and has not been replaced. I have the honor to be, With the highest respect, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient, Humble servant (signed) James Morgan Consul Copies to British High Commissioners, Constantinople, Cairo, Jerusalem and Bagdad. " " British Consuls, Beyrout and Damascus, G. H. Q., Cairo and British Liaison Officer, Beyrout, London S.W.1

Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan's response to the Catholicos' appeal to protect Armenians, April 28, 1915
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No. 111. April 28, 1915 [His Excellency, Mr. George Bakhmetoff, Ambassador of Russia] Excellency: In accordance with your oral request of April 27th, asking, on behalf of the Catholicos of the Armenian Church, that this Government should use its good offices with the Turkish Government to prevent the massacre of noncombatant Armenians in Turkish territory, the Department instructed the American Ambassador at Constantinople to bring the matter to the attention of the Turkish Government, urging upon it the use of effective means for the protection of the Armenians from violence at the hands of those of other religions. The American Ambassador at Constantinople cabled the Department before receiving the Department's telegram, stating that over one hundred Armenians of the better class had been arrested, ostensibly to prevent revolutionary propaganda; and that the lives of these men are probably not in danger, although they are being deported to the interior. After receiving this message the Department again cabled the Ambassador to urge the Turkish Government to protect the Armenians. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. W.J. Bryan

Report that Ottoman Turkey is seeking to exterminate the Armenian nation, July 16, 1915
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Telegram Received. From Constantinople Dated July 16, 1915 Recd. July 20, 8:10 AM. Secretary of State, Washington. 858, July 16, 1 p.m. Have you received my 841? Deportation of and excesses against peaceful Armenians is increasing and from harrowing reports of eye witnesses it appears that a campaign of race extermination is in progress under a pretext of reprisal against rebellion. Protests as well as threats are unavailing and probably incite the Ottoman government to more drastic measures as they are determined to disclaim responsibility for their absolute disregard of capitulations and I believe nothing short of actual force which obviously the United States are not in a position to exert would adequately meet the situation. Suggest you inform belligerent nations and mission boards of this. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR [Henry Morgenthau], Constantinople

Report on the treatment of Armenian children in Trebizond, July 20, 1915

American Embassy, Constantinople July 20, 1915 The Honorable The Secretary of State, Washington. Sir:Supplementing my despatch July 15, 1915, with reference to the Armenian Situation, I have the honor to enclose herewith copies, in duplicate, of a despatch on the same subject received from the American Consul at Trebizond. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (signed) [U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry] Morgenthau Enclosure: copies in duplicate dated July 7th.1915.

AMERICAN CONSULATE TREBIZOND. July 7, 1915. Honorable Henry Morgenthau, American Ambassador

Constantinople. Sir:Referring to my despatches to the Embassy of June 28th, 30th and July 3rd regarding the deportation of the Armenians from Trebizond to the Interior via Gumashhane and my despatch of July 3rd to the Department, copy of which was sent to the Embassy, regarding the suicide of Cavass Ohannes I now desire to report that the Armenian population of Trebizond Vilayet is estimated at 36,000 persons. The city of Trebizond and surrounding villages is estimated at 10,000 Armenians. Of this later number 5200 have already been sent away. The children, when the parents so desired, were left behind and placed in large houses in different parts of the city. There are approximately three thousand such children retained in these houses called by the Turks "Orphanages" Girls up to 15 years of age inclusive, and boys to 10 years of age inclusive are accepted; those over these ages are compelled to go with their parents. A number of Armenian women and young ladies are retained in these houses to look after the infants and children. The institutions are guarded by gendarmes and each institution has a Turkish Mudir or Director. Dr. and Mrs. Crawford received about 300 children into their school from parents who were being sent away. Some of these children were very small and there were a few babies. In some cases the parents left money or jewelry to cover the expenses of the children, or for safe keeping. Of course this was all contrary to the proclamation on which had been posted by the government. The Governor General sent words to Dr. Crawford that he would be required to give up the children as the authorities were prepared to take care of them but nevertheless left the children a few days until arrangements could be made for them then sent and took them all away. The authorities also called upon him to turn over all money and articles of any kind deposited by Armenians in contravention of the proclamation. Very disquieting reports concerning the treatment of these people who have been sent away are current and if one half turn out to be true it will be shocking. I have the honor to be Sir, Your obedient servant, Signed:- Oscar S. Heizer. American Consul.

Report from a German missionary on the massacre of Armenians from Erzerum, July 31, 1915
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Telegram Received. From Constantinople Dated July 31, 1915 Recd. August 3, 10 AM. Secretary of State, Washington. 898, July 31, 5 p.m. My 841 and 858. Doctor Lepsius, President of German-Orient Mission which maintains six Armenian orphan asylums in Turkey, has information from reliable source that Armenians, mostly women and children, deported from the Erzerum district, have been massacred near Kemakh between Erzinghan and Harput. Similar reports

comes from other sources showing that but few of these unfortunate people will ever reach their stated destination. Their lot inexpressibly pitiable. The Doctor proposes to submit matter to International Red Cross for common action to try to induce Germany to demand cessation of these horrors. He earnestly requests access to information Embassy has on file. Will give him if department has no objection. MORGENTHAU, American Ambassador

First-hand account by a Turkish army officer on the deportation of Armenians from Trebizond and Erzerum, December 26, 1916
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CIRCULATED TO THE KING AND WAR CABINET [December 26, 1916] ARMENIAN MASSACRES. Report by an Eye-Witness, Lieutenant Sayied Ahmed Moukhtar Baas. In April 1915 I was quartered at Erzeroum. An order came from Constantinople that Armenians inhabiting the frontier towns and village be deported to the interior. It was said then that this was only a precautional measure. I saw at that time large convoys of Armenians go through Erzeroum. They were mostly old men, women and children. Some of the able-bodied men had been recruited in the Turkish Army and many had fled to Russia. The massacres had not begun yet. In May 1915 I was transferred to Trebizond. In July an order came to deport to the interior all the Armenians in the Vilayet of Trebizond. Being a member of the Court Martial I knew that deportations meant massacres. The Armenian Bishop of Trebizond was ordered to proceed under escort to Erzeroum to answer for charges trumped up against him. But instead of Erzeroum he was taken to Baipurt and from there to Gumush-Khana. The Governor of the latter place was then Colonel Abdul-Kadar Aintabli of the General Staff. He is famous for his atrocities against the Armenians. He had the Bishop murdered at night. The Bishop of Erzeroum was also murdered at Gumush-Khana. Besides the deportation order referred to above an Imperial "Iradeh" was issued ordering that all deserters when caught, should be shot without trial. The secret order read "Armenians" in lieu of "deserters". The Sultan's "Iradeh" was accompanied by a "fatwa" from Sheikh-ul-Islam stating that the Armenians had shed Moslem blood and their killing was lawful. Then the deportations started. The children were kept back at first. The Government opened up a school for the grown up children and the American Consul of Trebizond instituted an asylum for the infants. When the first batches of Armenians arrived at Gumush-Khana all able-bodied men were sorted out with the excuse that they were going to be given work. The women and children were sent ahead under escort with the assurance by the Turkish authorities that their final destination was Mosul and that no harm will befall them. The men kept behind, were taken out of town in batches of 15 and 20, lined up on the edge of ditches prepared beforehand, shot and thrown into the ditches. Hundreds of men were shot every day in a similar manner. The women and children were attacked on their way by the ("Shotas") the armed bands organised by the Turkish Government who attacked them and seized a certain number. After plundering and committing the most dastardly outrages on the women and children they massacred them in cold blood. These attacks were a daily occurrence until every woman and child had been got rid of. The military escorts had strict orders not to interfere with the "Shotas". The children that the Government had taken in charge were also deported and massacred. The infants in the care of the American Consul of Trebizond were taken away with the pretext that they were going to be sent to Sivas where an asylum had been prepared for them. They were taken out to sea in little

boats. At some distance out they were stabbed to death, put in sacks and thrown into the sea. A few days later some of their little bodies were washed up on the shore at Trebizond. In July 1915 I was ordered to accompany a convoy of deported Armenians. It was the last batch from Trebizond. There were in the convoy 120 men, 700 children and about 400 women. From Trebizond I took them to GumishKhana. Here the 120 men were taken away, and, as I was informed later, they were all killed. At Gumish-Khana I was ordered to take the women and children to Erzinjian. On the way I saw thousands of bodies of Armenians unburied. Several bands of "Shotas" met us on the way and wanted me to hand over to them women and children. But I persistently refused. I did leave on the way about 300 children with Moslem families who were willing to take care of them and educate them. The "Mutessarrif" of Erzinjian ordered me to proceed with the convoy to Kamack. At the latter place the authorities refused to take charge of the women and children. I fell ill and wanted to go back, but I was told that as long as the Armenians in my charge were alive I would be sent from one place to the other. However I managed to include my batch with the deported Armenians that had come from Erzeroum. In charge of the latter was a colleague of mine Mohamed Effendi from the Gendarmerie. He told me afterwards that after leaving Kamach they came to a valley where the Euphrates ran. A band of Shotas sprang out and stopped the convoy. They ordered the escort to keep away and then shot every one of the Armenians and threw them in the river. At Trebizond the Moslems were warned that if they sheltered Armenians they would be liable to the death penalty. Government officials at Trebizond picked up some of the prettiest Armenian women of the best families. After committing the worst outrages on them they had them killed. Cases of rape of women and girls even publicly are very numerous. They were systematically murdered after the outrage. The Armenians deported from Erzeroum started with their cattle and whatever possessions they could carry. When they reached Erzinjian they became suspicious seeing that all the Armenians had already been deported. The Vali of Erzeroum allayed their fears and assured them most solemnly that no harm would befall them. He told them that the first convoy should leave for Kamach, the others remaining at Erzeroum until they received word from their friends informing of their safe arrival to destination. And so it happened. Word came that the first batch had arrived safely at Kamach, which was true enough. But the men were kept at Kamach and shot, and the women were massacred by the Shotas after leaving that town. The Turkish officials in charge of the deportation and extermination of the Armenians were: At Erzeroum, Bihas Eddin Shaker Bey; At Trebizond; Naiil Bey, Tewfik Bey Monastirly, Colonel of Gendarmerie, The Commissioner of Police; At Kamach; The member of Parliament for Erzinjian. The Shotas headquarters were also at Kamach. Their chief was the Kurd Murzabey who boasted that he alone had killed 70,000 Armenians. Afterwards he was thought to be dangerous by the Turks and thrown into prison charged with having hit a gendarme. He was eventually executed in secret.

Report on the massacre of Armenians in Cilicia under French administration, March 7, 1920
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Decypher, Admiral de Robeck, (Constantinople), March 7th, 1920. D. 4.20. p.m. March 7th. 1920. R. 5.45. p.m. March 8th. 1920. No.200. (R). _________________ Following for Mr. Aneurin Williams M.P. is transmitted at request of W.A. Kennedy. Message begins.

No. 5. Confirmation of news of Marash: 18,000 massacred in district: city burnt and without supplies and has not been relieved: 2,000 refugees have reached Adana: 13,000 women and children perished in snow-storm on way there: 8,000 Armenians still in Marash of whom many are wounded: Hadjia Zeitoun isolated: Adana, Tarsus not immediately threatened, but anxious and unsettled: no confidence of security in district. Message ends. I submit any appearance of official confirmation of this message should be guarded against. We have no information other than that already telegraphed. French, as previously stated, are very reticent but take the line that loss of life is to be ascribed to casualties incident to hostilities and subsequent withdrawal rather than to massacre.

Statistics on the pre-war and post-war Armenian population in Biledjik, Bardizag, and Hendek
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STATISTICS SHOWING THE PAST AND PRESENT NUMBER OF ARMENIANS IN THE TOWN OF BILEDJIK ALSO NUMBER OF HOUSES HABITABLE. Number of Armenians before deportation. Number of Armenians repatriated. Number of Armenian housing before deportation. Number in good condition. Number that can be repaired. Number demolished. Number of the factories belonging to Armenians. " " " " " " " destroyed, all machinery and accessories looted. All churches and schools belonging to the Armenians Catholic & Protestant Armenians, damaged as well as all water piping in the Armenian quarters destroyed. 5000 1000 700 100 200 400 12

STATISTICS OF THE ARMENIAN POPULATION OF BARDIZAG AS SUPPLIED BY THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY. Houses pre-war Houses half habitable Houses uninhabitable Houses dismantled or destroyed Armenians previous to the war 12000 2200 250 300 1600

Armenians returned from exile Armenians settled elsewhere Armenians expected to return Armenians died or massacred during exile Armenians requiring assistance

2000 1500 50 8450 1400

STATISTICS SUPPLIED BY THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES OF BILEDJIK SHOWING PRESENT POPULATION OF THE CAZA AS WELL AS NUMBER OF ARMENIANS DEPORTED AND REPATRIATED. Musulmans GREEKS Armenians Number of Armenians deported. " " " in military service. " " " remained in district. " " " repatriated. 14887 5575 2617 23279 2207 366 44 2617 1000

STATISTICS SHOWING THE PAST AND PRESENT NUMBER OF ARMENIANS IN THE NAHIE OF HENDEK - CAZA OF ADA BAZAR ALSO NUMBER OF HOUSES HABITABLE. Number of Armenians deported. Number of Armenians repatriated Expected to return. Number of houses before deportation. Number of houses habitable. 2021 250 10 350 10