711.672/551: Telegram
The High Commissioner in Turkey (Bristol) to the Secretary of State.
[Received 7 p.m.]
4. This afternoon I had a cordial conference with the Prime Minister, Ismet Pasha. He stated that the aide-mémoire which I delivered regarding the attitude of the Department had made a very favorable [Page 778] impression upon the Government of Turkey, and that the efforts made by the Government of the United States to secure the ratification of the treaty were very much appreciated. He said that he considered the ratification of a treaty and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries to be more of a moral obligation than a material one. When he asked me if I had conferred with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and if I believed that arrangements could be made for the future relations of the two countries, I suggested, in conformity with the Department’s instruction, the possibility of immediately resuming regular diplomatic relations through the appointment of Ambassadors. I received the same reaction from the Prime Minister that I had received from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister added that a treaty of amity, such as the Minister for Foreign Affairs had suggested, could be signed immediately and be ratified by the United States Senate. Without committing myself, I said that I would transmit his suggestion to my Government and would expect a reply from Washington in two or three days. I shall await the instructions which I requested in my telegram No. 3, January 24, midnight.