Secrets of the Bosphorus
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(6 i^-r Ambassador Henry Morgenthau. [Frontispiece SErRETS OF THE BOSPHORUS By AMBASSADOR HENRY MORGENTHAU CONSTANTINOPLE, 1913-1916 JVith 19 Illustrations LONDON: HUTCHINSON & CO. PATERNOSTER ROW ^ © f973 '// ^- ERRATA " " Page 16, line 4, read without for with. " " Page 18, line 13, read Mexico for Turkey. " " Page 18, line 35, read Humann instead of Enver. \\ '1h^y PRINTED IN GBBAT BRITAIN BY THE ANCHOK PRESS LTD. TIPTBEK ESSEX. PUBLISHERS' NOTE HENRY MORGENTHAU requires no the. American AMBASSADORintroduction to the British public, but diplomat who may with justice be termed The Search- and whose Reminiscences will light of Truth at the Golden Horn, the rank now and in years to come as historical documents of first importance, modestly obscures in his graphic and fascinating narrative one fact which requires emphasising : That by his shrewd grasp of enemy psychology, by his un- swerving impartiality, by his tact and dignity, and unflinching and courage, he frustrated again and again the evil designs machinations of that trio of arch-schemers and villains, Wan- earned genheim, Talaat, and Enver, against the Allies, and thus a debt of lasting gratitude from the British people. PREFACE this time the American people have probably become BY convinced that the Germans deliberately planned the conquest of the world. Yet they hesitate to convict on circumstantial evidence, and for -this reason all eye-witnesses to this, the greatest crime in modern history, should volunteer their testimony. I have therefore laid aside any scruples I had as to the pro- priety of disclosing to my fellow-countrymen the facts which I ' learned while representing them in Turkey. I acquired this knowledge as the servant of the American people, and it is their property as much as it is mine.- I greatly regret that I have been obliged to omit an account of the splendid activities of the American Missionary and Educa- tional Institutions in Turkey, but to do justice to this subject would require a book by itself. I have had to omit the story of the Jews in Turkey for the same reasons. My thanks are due to my friend, Mr. Burton J. Hendrick, for the invaluable assistance he has rendered in the preparation of the book. Henry Morqenth.^u. October, 1918. i CONTENTS PAOB A GERMAN" SUPERMAN AT CONSTANTINOPLE - I " " II. THE BOSS SYSTEM IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND HOW IT PROVED USEFUL TO GERMANY - 12 " III. THE PERSON.^L REPRESENT.\TIVE OF THE " KAISER —WANGENHEIM OPPOSES THE SALE OF AMERICAN WARSHIPS IN GREECE - - 26 IV. GERMANY MOBILISES THE TURKISH .\RMY - 39 " " V. WANGENHEIM S.MUGGLES THE GOEBEN AND THE " " BRESLAU THROUGH THE D.\RDANELLES - 44 VI. WANGENHEIM TELLS THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR HOW THE KAISER STARTED THE W.\R - 53 VII. GERMANY'S PLANS FOR NEW TERRITORIES, COALING - ST.\TIONS, AND INDEMNITIES - - 58 - VIII. A CLASSIC INST.\NCE OF GERMAN PROP.\GANDA 62 LX. GERMANY CLOSES THE DARDANELLES AND SO SEPAR.\TES RUSSIA FROM HER .\LLIES - 68 X. turkey's ABROGATION OF THE CAPITULATIONS— ENVER LIVING IN A PAL.'ICE. WITH PLENTY OF MONEY AND AN IMPERIAL BRIDE - - 73 - XI. GERMANY COMPELS TURKEY TO ENTER THE WAR 80 XII. THE TURKS ATTEMPT TO TREAT ALIEN ENEMIES DECENTLY, BUT THE GER.MANS INSIST ON PER- SECUTING THEM - - - - 85 - XIII. THE INVASION OF THE ZION SISTERS* SCHOOL 96 XIV. W.\NGENHEIM AND THE BETHLEHEM STEEL COM- PANY—A HOLY WAR THAT WAS MADE IN GER.MANY ----- I03 XV. DJEMAL, A TROUBLESOME MARK ANTONY—.\N EARLY GERMAN .\TTEMPT TO GET A GERMAN PEACE ------ 112 ix X. Contents CHAPTER PAGB XVI. THE TURKS PREPARE TO FLEE FROM CONSTANTIN- OPLE AND ESTABLISH A NEW CAPITAL IN ASIA MINOR—THE ALLIED FLEET BOMBARDING THE DARDANELLES ----- 121 " XVII. ENVER AS THE MAN WHO DEMONSTRATED THE " VULNERABILITY OF THE BRITISH FLEET — OLD-FASHIONED DEFENCES OF THE DARDANELLES 133 XVIII. THE ALLIED ARMADA SAILS AWAY, THOUGH ON THE BRINK OF VICTORY - - . _ 143 XIX. A FIGHT FOR THREE THOUSAND CIVILIANS- 153 XX. MORE ADVENTURES OF THE FOREIGN RESIDENTS - 167 XXI. BULGARIA ON THE AUCTION BLOCK XXII. THE TURK REVERTS TO THE ANCESTRAL TYPE 180 " " - - XXIII. THE REVOLUTION AT VAN - 193 - XXIV. THE MURDER OF A NATION - _ 198 XXV. TALAAT TELLS WHY HE "ANNIHILATES" THE ARMENIANS _ _ - _ _ 215 XXVI. ENVER PASHA DISCUSSES THE ARMENIANS 226 " XXVII. I SHALL DO NOTHING FOR THE ARMENIANS," SAYS THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR 240 XXVIII. ENVER AGAIN MOVES FOR PEACE—FAREWELL TO THE SULTAN AND TO TURKEY 253 XXIX. VON J AGOW, ZIMMERMAN. AND GERMAN-AMERICANS 261 ILLUSTRATIONS Ambassador Henry Morgenthau ... - Frontispiece Baron Wangenueim, German Ambassador - - facing page ^2 M. TocHEFF, Bulgarian Minister at Constantinople ,, ,, 33 " " - - - - GOEBEN IN THE SeA OF MaRMORA ,, ,, 48 " " - - BRESLAU (left) AT THE GOLDEN HORN ,, .. 49 - - - - En vER Pasha, Minister OF War ,. ,,112 - - - - Talaat Pasha. Grand Vizier ,, ,,112 Bl'stany Effendi, Ex-Minister OF Commerce and Agriculture - ..113 . - Djr;mal Pasha, Minister OF Marine ,. ,. 113 - - - 116 Mr. Morgenthau and Sir Louis Mallet ,, ,. - - - Sir Louis Mallet AND M. BoMPARD .. ,, 116 - - - - Be d Ri BzY, Prefect OF Police .. .,117 Talaat AND VON KuHLMANN ,, ,, [17 - - - - - .. Sedd-ul-Bahr Fortification . .. i44 Fort Dardanos •• -.MS - - - - Mohammed v., Sultan OF Turkey .. ..176 . - - Tchemenlik AND Fort Anadolu Hamidie ,. ,, i77 Sheik-ul-Islam proclaiming a Holy War - - .... 192 The Bosphorus, Key to the Black Sea - - - .... 193 XI Secrets of the Bosphorus CHAPTER I A GERMAN SUPERMAN AT CONSTANTINOPLE AM writing these reminiscences of my ambassadorship at a moment when Germany's schemes in the Turkish I Empire and the Near East have achieved an apparent success. Tlie Central Powers have disintegrated Russia, have transformed tlie Baltic and the Black Seas into German lakes, and have obtained a new route to the East by way of the Caucasus. Germany now dominates Serbia, Bulgaria, Rumania, and Turkey, and regards her aspirations for a new Teutonic Empire, extending from the North Sea to the Persian Gulf, as practically reahsed. The world now knows, though it did not clearly understand this fact in 1914, that Germany precipitated the war to destroy Serbia, seize control of the Balkan nations, transform Turkey into a vassal state, and thus obtain a huge oriental empire that would form the basis for unlimited world dominion. Do these German aggressions in the East mean that this extensive programme has succeeded ? As I look upon the new map. which shows Germany's recent military and diplomatic triumphs, my experiences in Constan- tinople take on a new meaning. I now see the events of these twenty-six months as part of a connected, definite story. The several individuals that moved upon the scene now appear as players in a carefully staged, superbly managed drama. I see clearly enough now that Germany had made all her plans for world dominion and that the country to which I had been accredited as American Ambassador was the foundation of the Kaiser's whole political and mihtary structure. Had Germany not acquired control of Constantinople in the early days of the war, it is not unlikely that hostiUtics would have ended a few months after the battle of the Marne. It was certainly an amaz- ing fate that landed me in this great headquarters of intrigue at the very moment when the plans of the Kaiser, carefully pursued for a quarter of a century, were about to achieve their final success. B 2 Secrets of the Bosphorus For the work of subjugating Turkey and transforming its army and its territory into instruments of Germany, the Emperor had sent to Constantinople an Ambassador who was ideally fitted for the task. The mere fact that Wilhelm had personally selected Baron von Wangenheim for this post shows that he had accurately gauged the human quaUties needed for this great diplomatic enterprise. The Kaiser had early selected Wangenheim as a useful for his he had more than once summoned him instrument plans ; to Corfu for his vacations, and here, we may be sure, the two congenial spirits had passed many days discussing German ambitions in the East. At the time I first met him, Wangenheim old had a of a to was fifty-four years ; he given quarter century the diplomatic service, he had seen service in such different places as Petrograd, Copenhagen, Madrid, Athens, and Mexico, and he had been charge at Constantinople, several years later coming there as Ambassador, He understood completely all States his first countries, including the United ; wife, indeed, had been an American, and Wangenheim, when Minister to Mexico, had intimately studied our country and acquired that admiration for our energy and progress which he frequently expressed. He had a complete technical equipment for a and French with diplomat ; he spoke German, Engfish, equal facility, he knew the East thoroughly, and had the widest acquaintance with public men. Physically he was one of the most striking persons I have ever known. When I was a boy in Germany, the Fatherland— was usually symbolised as a beauti- ful and woman a kind of ; when I powerful dazzHng Valkyrie | think of modern Germany, however, the massive, burly figure of Wangenheim naturally presents itself to my mind. He was n tall soHd his Gibraltar- six feet, two inches ; his huge, frame, his defiant his like shoulders, erect and impregnable, bold, head, ji the whole structure piercing eyes, physical constantly pulsating |; with life and activity—there stands, I would say, not the Germany t I limitless ambitions which had known, but the Germany whose ^i had transformed the world into a place of horror. And Wangen- "r heim's every act and every word typified this new and dreadful i all portent among the nations. Pan-Germany filled his waking ; hours and directed his every action.