“The notification dated 29 August concerning the Armenians and given to the Imperial Embassy from the Porte is merely an audacious deception of the embassy, because, at the instigation of Inspector Ali Munif Bey, who was sent here, the Porte later completely revoked this order. The authorities, of course, are only carrying out the second instruction and continuing with the deportation without considering denomination or creed. The number of Armenians ordered to be murdered probably already exceeds the number of victims in the Young Turkish Massacre of 1909. It is possible that the non-German press will investigate these atrocities more closely despite previous denials given by the Turkish consuls.
I would like to mention that the local committee leader, Ismail Safa, threatened general massacres if the Armenians were not deported.“ [See Doc. 1915-09-10-DE-011.]
It is true that the privileges conceded by the Porte were later often restricted again, especially with regard to the provinces of Adana and Angora. The Ministry of the Interior, for example, insists that those Armenians who are already in the process of being deported, insofar as the privileges in question apply to them, not return to their homes, but rather be taken to their place of destination; this was not stated with the necessary clarity in the first of the three Porte telegrams, at least not in the German translation given to us, but it corresponds to the government's programme which aims at scattering the concentrations of Armenians in certain areas and larger towns in Asia Minor. It finally seems as if the authorities in the interior are often under the influence of leaders of the Unity and Progress Committee and other elements who are not responsible, who do not concern themselves with the Central Government's orders and organise the outrages against the Armenians and other indigenous Christians.
On the other hand, there is no proof at present that the Porte planned to "audaciously deceive" the Imperial Embassy with its notification in question.
Ali Munif Bey, mentioned in Mr. Buege's telegram, is identical with the former Musteshar (Undersecretary of State) at the Ministry of the Interior who was recently appointed Governor of the Lebanon. On the journey to his official residence he spent several days in Adana, but the Ministry denies that he carried out a mission there as an inspector.