AS
THROWING some light on the spirit in which the foregoing pages have boon
written, I append the following letters, the first two from American missionary
associations, the third from a committee of prominent Turks at
Smyrna:
AMERICAN
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS
Incorporated
1812
Congregational
House, 14 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
March
22, 1923.
Doctor
George Horton, American Consul-General,
Care
Consular Bureau, State Dept.,
Washington, D. C.
Dear
Doctor Horton,
Enclosed
is a letter written by Mr. Getchell in behalf of the missionaries of Smyrna,
addressed to Doctor Barton, to have been handed to you on board the steamer
which you in some way failed to take.
It
was thus delayed and reached my hands only yesterday.
Please
accept the sentiments expressed although unfortunately so long delayed in
transmission. The original of the letter addressed to Doctor Barton was
delivered when the party reached America and was read by him on his return from
China.
We
are watching events in the Near East with the greatest interest and, as one of
the missionaries has said, “with hopes that scarce know themselves from
fear”.
I
have heard that the American Consulate is again functioning in Smyrna and it is
possible that you are there once more. If so, it will be a comfort and a relief
of many persons whose interests are still largely centered in that
city.
I
trust that you and your family have maintained your health despite the terrible
strain upon you and that you will be able to continue in the splendid
cooperation with our missionaries that has characterized your work in the
past.
Very
sincerely yours,
(Signed)
Ernest W. Riggs.
The
letter referred to as “enclosed” was as follows:
Athens,
Greece,
October
12, 1922.
Reverend
James L. Barton, D. D., Secretary of the American Board,
14
Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.
Dear
Doctor Barton,
At
a recent station meeting of the Smyrna missionaries now refugees in the city of
Athens (numbering fourteen adults) a vote was passed recognizing the exceedingly
helpful and sympathetic services of our Consul-General, Doctor Horton, during
the days of the late Smyrna tragedy. The vote also expressed the desire that a
copy of this letter be sent to the State Department, Washington, D. C., and one
also to Doctor Horton himself.
During
those days of Turkish fire, pillage and massacre, which laid the beautiful city
of Smyrna in ashes and rendered homeless her Christian population of not less
than 500,000 people, including the refugees from the surrounding towns and
villages, Doctor Horton passed through more trying, exacting and dangerous
experiences than I could imagine any official of the United States Government,
doing service abroad, has ever been called upon to undergo.
Under
such circumstances, when our American Consulate was crowded with helpless human
beings, all looking to the consul for help and advice, Consul Horton kept cool
but never cold. His warm sympathetic heart went out to each sufferer, and aid
was extended wherever possible.
The
missionaries are especially grateful for the assistance rendered by Doctor
Horton in helping to rescue teachers and pupils from the schools, with the
result that not one teacher from the American Girls’ Institute, at Smyrna, is
missing; and most of the girls, who were in the burning building, have been
saved.
Since
the flight to Athens, Doctor Horton has been most energetic in helping to feed,
clothe and house the needy refugees.
We
wish to put on record our appreciation of Doctor Horton’s brave and sympathetic
efforts for ourselves, as well as the natives of the
city.
On
behalf of the missionaries of Smyrna Station, I
remain,
Very
sincerely yours,
(Signed)
“Dana K. Getchell.”
The
third and following letter was received by me in Washington, August 20, 1923, in
the Turkish language. Among the signers are Ilimdar Zade Edhiem, President of
the Islamic Emigration Committee and Hall Zeki, proprietor of the well-known
“Shark Gazette”.
My
constant policy during the long time that I was in the Near East, was to
befriend, in so far as my official position permitted, all who might be in need
of help, irrespective of race or religion.
30
July, 1339
(Turkish date)
Since
the appointment of His Excellency, George Horton as Consul-General of the United
States in Smyrna, His Excellency has won the heart of the whole Turkish nation
by the sympathy and good will, which His Excellency has always shown every
Turkish man.
During
the Greek occupancy of our country His Excellency, Mr. George Horton, gave full
protection and kindly treatment to those of the Turks who went to him for
protection and the right of humane existence.
We
therefore beg to express our heartiest thanks to His Excellency, Mr. George
Horton, for all the interest and kindly services rendered by him for the Turkish
nation, which has also created in our hearts a deep and eternal affection for
his honorable nation.
(Signed)
Ilimdar
Zade Edhem, President of the Islamic Emigration
Committee
Sahlebdji
Zade Midhat, Merchant
Hussein
Djemal, Chemist
Beshir
Zade, Merchant
Mehmet
Nourri, Carpet Merchant Hali Zeki, Proprietor of “Shark
Gazette”
Hassan
Fowzi, Lawyer
Shaih
Kadri
Eyyub
Sabri, Merchant
Mehmet
Emin, Merchant
Melimet
Hamdi, Merchant
Kesreli
Hadji Ali, Tobacco Merchant
Berkeli
Zade Hadji Bedriddin
Mkr.
Ahmet
Kantardji
Zade
Mustapha
Nouriddin
Mehmet
Zeki, Hat Merchant.
Of
these and of many other Turks that I have known personally, I have the most
friendly and even affectionate recollections. I wish them well and would gladly
welcome an occasion that would allow me to be of service to them
again.
It
is necessary, however, for the honor of the Turkish race that some of its
members should denounce the massacres and publicly declare that they are and
have always been opposed to them. If the Koran does not advocate the putting to
death of the unbeliever as some of its expounders maintain, then it should seem
indispensable to the good name of Mohammedanism in general, that all the other
Moslems should denounce the Turkish massacres.
The
above testimonial was forwarded to me by Mr. Rufus Lane, formerly American
consul at Smyrna, who writes among other things:
“I
thought it would be a pleasure to you to have as a souvenir of your stay here a
few lines from some of your Turkish friends, attesting their sympathy for
you.”
“One
man declares that you saved the lives of his entire family in 1916, by providing
them with food, a doctor and a nurse when his mother, his wife and three
children were all down with typhus. I know the man well, as also the
circumstances, which no doubt you have forgotten!”
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