Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V

123 Lewis, Charles W., Jr.

The Consul General at Istanbul (Lewis)¹ to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (McGhee)

secret
official informal

Istanbul, August 16, 1950.

Dear Mr. McGhee: Your and the Secretary’s letters² to the Patriarch Athenagoras were received and delivered by me a few days ago. They came at a very opportune time. I had just received a communication of considerable import from Kermit Roosevelt³ and was thus enabled to present your letters by way of prelude to the introduction of the other subject. The Patriarch expressed his warm appreciation of the letters. He was also gratified to hear that as a result of your visit⁴ and your interest in his problems it had been possible to raise some assistance for him in the United States.⁵

I see the Patriarch from time to time and will continue to endeavor to maintain close and effective ties with him. If as a result of these contacts anything of particular interest develops, I will of course report it to the Department.

Very sincerely yours,

Charles W. Lewis, Jr.

1. Charles W. Lewis, Jr., assumed charge of the Consulate General at Istanbul on May 19 from La Verne Baldwin.
2. Reference is to the letter of August 3 (not printed) from Assistant Secretary McGhee to Patriarch Athenagoras which acknowledged receipt of a message of May 26 (not printed) from the Patriarch land expressed appreciation for the Patriarch’s “generous sentiments regarding this country’s endeavors to preserve peace and its substantial assistance to Turkey” (123 Baldwin, La Verne); and to the letter of August 3 (not printed), from Secretary of State Dean G. Acheson to Patriarch Athenagoras which acknowledged receipt of a message of May 26 (not printed) from the Patriarch and stated “It was heartening to receive reassurances of Your Holiness’ sincere endorsement of this Government’s efforts to establish peace and to preserve the dignity and rights of the individual” (123 Baldwin, La Verne).
3. The communication received by Consul General Lewis from Kermit Roosevelt, Consultant on Middle Eastern and Communist Affairs to the Secretary of State, was not found in Department of State files.
4. Assistant Secretary McGhee exchanged visits with Patriarch Athenagoras at Istanbul; see editorial note, Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. vi, p. 1685.
5. Reference is to assistance raised in response to the Patriarch’s request mentioned in footnote 2, p. 1251.