No. 115
Constantinople, 9 September 1915.
Mr. Foreign Minister,
The legation has received a report, dated the 2. of this month, from the Royal Consulate in Smyrna concerning the conditions there, and below I shall represent those of the points of the report which I believe are of interest at the moment.
Smyrna has not been subject to hostile attacks lately, and in the surrounding areas the allied fleets have shown very little activity as well, and have only occasionally bombarded vessels along the coast, or have fired at places where it was believed that entrenchments had been built.
The Allies have, on the other hand, expanded the blockaded stretch of Asia Minor’s coastline. 22 August an English cruiser that sailed into Kuluk delivered the message to the governor of the Vilayet that the blockade was expanded to cover the whole coast from Castellorizzo [Meyisti, Megisti] in the South to the Dardanelles in the North.
But – and this is especially the case after Italy has declared war against Turkey – field fortifications are continuously being built with feverish haste everywhere in the Vilayet. Furthermore, it is believed that the local industry is being prepared for mobilization, since factories, motors, etc., have been taken into possession by the military authorities, and all copper has been requisitioned.
The economic condition of the Vilayet is, because of the cessation of export, very poor. All in all, only 40 loads of figs have been shipped this year, as opposed to 300 last year. The governor will try to obtain permission from the Allies to export figs and other exotic fruits from the Vilayet aboard neutral ships, and the consul [Alfred van der Zee] believes that the question will be solved.
At the moment, the province is by the way haunted by bands of deserters who extort exhorbitant sums from the population, thereby contributing to the worsening of the economic situation.
Smyrna has not been hit by the persecutions of the Armenians which I have mentioned in my reports, and which have been implemented everywhere else in Asia Minor, because the governor, Rahmy Bey [Rahmi bey], an energetic and independent man who has several times resisted the wishes of the Committee, has not been willing to carry out the orders concerning that matter given by the central government. 3 September, the governor, as the consul has reported on that same date, has travelled to the capital, probably to discuss this matter with the government.
With the highest esteem I remain, Mr. Minister, yours faithfully
[Wandel]