1 Enclosure
In its lead article (enclosed in translation), the local Turkish newspaper, "Taswiri Efkiar", discusses the Armenian question subsequent to the outline by the committee for ”Unity and Progress”, of which Your Excellency is aware, and reaches the conclusion that the policy of a union and fusion of the various elements of the population which was originally adopted by the committee has ”gone bankrupt”, and instead a ”purge” of all the non-Mohammedan, i.e. Christian, elements in the empire should be contemplated. The article most likely gives a true impression of the convictions of the ultra-national circles. Some of these ideas have already been implemented by driving out the Syrian Christians residing in the eastern border provinces and the Greeks in the individual districts of Asia Minor and Rumelia. Probably the author is also further demanding the evacuation of those Armenians in Constantinople and Smyrna who have previously been exempted from evacuation.
As the report of the general assembly, which was presented to the congress, historically presented the question from the beginning to the end, we would first like to cite some lines from this report.
(detailed excerpts from the report mentioned follow; the article then continues:)
It is not necessary to list here once again those preparations made by the Armenians for the revolt and the individual incidents as they have been read by everyone in the previously mentioned report. The solution to the question of how a nation that is involved in a dreadful fight to the death will proceed upon determining these facts can be left to humanity’s conscience. To speed up the matter we prefer to hear the Armenians’ own opinion for they are no longer afraid to speak the truth. In this connection we have at hand extensive personal material, but we will restrict ourselves to the various remarks, which have been published in the Armenian magazine, ”Datshar”.
It is understandable that the evacuation and deportation of the Armenians, ordered for those compelling reasons given in the party’s report, are not a pleasant event for this people. The ‘Datschar’ holds all of the Armenian parties and committees responsible for the great misfortune, which has befallen the Armenians and writes:
It was clear that the actions of the Armenian parties, who only thought of filling their pockets and their bellies and satisfying their greed, would harm the Turkish Armenians and finally drive them to suicide, and in the end that was what happened.”
No one among us doubts that in the policy of ”Unity and Amalgamation” we had depended on coming to an understanding with the Armenians as the best way. The Armenian committees proved to us that we were on the wrong track in that during these difficult times they were not able to refrain from becoming the tool of our most dangerous enemy. Of necessity, therefore, under the weight of these facts we must take a new road towards a new goal. This necessity is based on the realisation that the familiar policy of unity among the elements of the population has gone bankrupt and that the era of ”purging” has begun for our native country.