767.68119 T&M 2/3: Telegram
The Special Mission at Lausanne to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:29 p.m.]
71. Fourth meeting of subcommission on prisoners of war and exchange of populations held December 7 at 4 p.m.
Tevfik Bey adduced figures to show that excluding Western Thrace there were in Greece 100,000 more Turks than Greeks in Turkey. The destruction of 27 towns, the 1,418 villages in Anatolia would render difficult the housing of 400,000 newcomers. For this reason he maintained the exchange should not begin before April but should include the Greeks of Constantinople who constituted a focus of unrest and international complications. This he declared was his last word.
Caclamanos denied Tevfik’s figures and facts, made an appeal to the humanitarian feelings of the Turks, and stated it as his last word that Greece could not consent to the expulsion of the Constantinople Greeks.
[Page 916]In reply to chairman’s request for American view the following statement of American delegation was read by Grew:
“The American delegation is not in accord with proposals for new compulsory movements of populations unless it is clearly shown that good purposes will be served as might be the case in the exchange of prisoners or of populations where the exchange is necessary to serve humanitarian ends. Without discrimination between the parties to the negotiation for exchange, the American delegation is unable to approve the movement from Constantinople of the Greek population of that city particularly under conditions which will send an urban people used to artisanship and commerce to a rural district. We will not hesitate to express in pursuance of our legitimate humanitarian interest our protest at any such dislodgment of human beings.”
Montagna then made a conciliatory but strong speech calling upon the Turks to reconsider a policy which would entail more harm than good and incur for them the reprobation of the world. The English and French representatives concurred. The Turks, apparently impressed, requested a delay of three days in which to prepare their reply.