No. 12: The Armenian population in Turkey (No. 187 in the enclosures):
Dr. Liebknecht (SD.). . . . . . . . . . . 512C, D
Point of order . . . . . . . . . 513A
Dr. von Stumm, Head of the Political Department in the German Foreign Office, Imperial Minister. . . . . 512D
President: We will proceed with the agenda. The first item on the agenda concerns questions. I first call for question no. 12 (No. 187 in the printed documents). Member of Parliament Dr. Liebknecht will take the floor to read the question.
Dr. Liebknecht, Member of Parliament:
Is the Reichskanzler aware of the fact that during the present war hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the allied Turkish empire have been expelled and massacred?
What steps has the Reichskanzler taken with the allied Turkish government to bring about the necessary atonement, to create a humane situation for the rest of the Armenian population in Turkey, and to prevent similar atrocities from happening again?
President: Dr. von Stumm, Imperial Minister and Head of the Political Department in the German Foreign Office, will take the floor to answer the question.
Dr. von Stumm, Imperial Minister, Head of the Political Department in the German Foreign Office, Commissioner of the Bundesrat: The Reichskanzler is aware that some time ago the Sublime Porte, compelled by the rebellious machinations of our enemies, evacuated the Armenian population in certain parts of the Turkish empire and allocated new residential areas to them. Due to certain repercussions of these measures, an exchange of ideas is taking place between the German and the Turkish governments. Further details cannot be disclosed.
(Member of Parliament Dr. Liebknecht: I ask to speak in order to supplement the question! – laughter.)
President: Member of Parliament Dr. Liebknecht will take the floor to supplement the question.
Is the Reichskanzler aware of the fact that Professor Lepsius virtually spoke of an extermination of the Turkish Armenians …
(The President rings his bell. – Speaker attempts to continue speaking. – Calls: Silence! Silence!)
President: Sir, that is a new question that I cannot permit.
(Member of Parliament Dr. Liebknecht: Mr. President, a point of order!)
- All right, a point of order.
Dr. Liebknecht, Member of Parliament: Before the President has not heard the end of the question, he will not be in a position to judge (laughter) whether it is a new question. Besides, I emphasise that the President did not reach the opinion that this is a new question on his own initiative (lively calls: Oh! Oh!), but that this was first called out to him from the House.
President: Member of Parliament Dr. Liebknecht, I will not permit you to criticise my administration. (Lively cheers.)