Constantinople, 5 August 1917.
Mr. Foreign Minister,
In the political circles of Stambul it is now being said that large parts of the German troops, which are sent here under the pretext of having to reconquer Baghdad, will stay in the region of Constantinople to secure the power of the Young Turk government and to maintain order in European Turkey.
The government can, it seems, no longer trust the army.
As already reported it has long been a successful strategy to satisfy the officers by securing that they and their families got all they needed from military depots for the same prices as before the war while the civilian population suffered, but [the government] now begins to lack the means to secure itself against a rebellious movement this way, and it has as of lately confined itself to seek to satisfy the most high-ranking officers while the privates only receive bad bread, olives, and a little dried fish.
In all layers of society the view is becoming widespread that the Young Turk government has sold itself to the Germans and now only thinks about enrichening itself at the expense of the people while it surrounds itself with spies and German soldiers and oppresses all freedom of speech.
Even among the servants and Cavasses of the foreign embassies and among the ladies of Pera's social world it has its informers.
People are dying of starvation without anyone daring to protest, while the government and its friends are making enormeous fortunes and live lavish lives.
The hatred toward the Germans, who are being blamed for this sad state of affairs, is also increasing for each day that passes.
The Turkish officers are envious of their German colleagues who receive much better payment, lodging, and provisioning, and enjoy all sorts of benefits. They observe with resentment that all the hard and unpleasant work is being piled upon the Turks while the Germans behave like masters of the country and display an arrogance that is a perpetual source of hurt to them.
The Austrians, on the other hand, who are aware of this state of affairs and know how to benefit from it, are a little better [sic].
The Austrian officers are very tactful, and, apparently, ties are being established at the moment that can only be of consequence for the economic intercourse between Turkey and Austria-Hungary after the war.
With the highest esteem I remain, Mr. Minister, yours faithfully
[Wandel]