Diplomacy & International Politics & Diplomatists As Seen At Close Range
It is not true that Western sources support mostly the “genocide” allegations.
US journalist George Abel Schreiner, who traveled extensively in Anatolia, wrote that “Turkish ineptness, more than intentional brutality, was responsible for the hardships the Armenian subjected to” (The Craft Sinister: A Diplomatic History of the Great War and Its Causes, New York, G. Albert, 1920, pp. 124-125). Read More . .
George A. Schreiner, American War/Political Correspondent, "The Craft Sinister: A Diplomatico-Political History of the Great War and its Causes, (G. Albert Gayer, New York, 1920)"; Schreiner criticized Ambassador Morgenthau in a letter, aware of the Ambassador's fabrications in "Ambassador Morgenthau's Story." Read more . .
It wasn't just the Germans who could not let go of their religious and racial bigotry against the Turks, accepting at face value the horror stories of their missionary and Armenian co-religionists. American war correspondent George Abel Schreiner detailed the workings of German bias in this revealing excerpt from 'The Craft Sinister' 1920.
The Germans' Austrian allies are also on record for echoing the same "Terrible Turk" sentiments, regarding the Armenian "genocide." While the Germans had enough wars with the Ottoman Turks through the centuries to not have developed the friendliest predisposition, it was likely worked more into the Austrian soul that the Turks were barbarians. The Ottoman Turks, after all, twice stormed the gates of Vienna, leading to the development of the croissant (each time the Austrians bit into the crescent-shaped pastry, it was like "giving it" to the Turks.) Read More . .
George A. Schreiner in his "The Craft Sinister: A Diplomatico-Political History of the Great War and its Causes, (G. Albert Gayer, New York, 1920)" writes about Ambassador Morgenthau¹s misleadings of the American government. ("It is to be hoped that the future historian will not give too much heed to the drivel one finds in the books of diplomatist-authors.") The distinguished foreign correspondent (having served in Turkey from February through the end of 1915) wrote Morgenthau a biting December 11,1918 letter, criticizing him for the fallacies in his unethically written book (Ambassador Morgenthau's Story).
It seems to me Morgenthau let his ego run away with him, enjoying the notion that his fellow Americans looked upon the ambassador as the savior of a Christian people. The intensity with which he communicated his thoughts (as with the article above) provides a strong clue... he must have liked the fact that he came across as a hero. There are a good number of passages in his ghost-written book where his heroic deeds and attitude is presented (or as Schreiner mocked, his "omniscience and omnipotence"), even though some of his letters and diaries paint an altogether different picture.
For example, there is a point where he forces himself on the Turkish leaders whenever he wants:
"I shall not be denied an interview," I replied. "I shall come up to the cabinet room at four o'clock. If you refuse to receive me then, I shall insist on going into the council room and discussing the matter with the whole Cabinet. I shall be interested to learn whether the Turkish Cabinet will refuse to receive the American Ambassador."
Immediately after which, Enver Pasha is heard to gasp over the phone. As always, Morgenthau gets what he wishes. Read More . .
Perhaps we owe the survival of the Schreiner letter in the Morgenthau material to the veiled threat with which it ends. When Schreiner states: "of diplomatic events on the Bosphorus more will be heard as soon as I can get at my notes and documents now in Europe," Morgenthau may have taken it as a sign of Schreiner's intent to place before the public the kinds of charges found in the letter. If that was the case, his fears were not rewarded. Schreiner did indeed write a book attacking Wilson's habit of sending untrained individuals as Ambassadors to European capitals in wartime, and, as might be expected, Morgenthau is one of his case studies of this practice. However, The Craft Sinister, as his book was titled, adds little detail to the charges contained in the letter. 117 This despite a comment in his 'Preface' which leads the reader to think otherwise:
"It is to be hoped that the future historian will not give too much heed to the drivel one finds in the books of diplomatist-authors. I at least have found these books remarkably unreliable on the part played by the author. It would seem that these literary productions are on a par with the 'blue books' published by governments for the edification of the public and their own amusement, as in some cases I will show."
What Schreiner contents himself with doing, in a chapter titled "Diplomacy in Turkey," is to detail the close relationship which existed between Morgenthau and his German counterpart, Baron Wangenheim, and, likewise, the very warm friendship in which Morgenthau held Enver Pasha. He prefaces his remarks on the Wangenheim Morgenthau relationship by saying:
"But the books of diplomatists must not be taken too seriously. The ambassador who avers that from the very inception of trouble he was with this or with that side may be doing nothing more than presenting just one side of his attitude, with slight exaggerations, possibly. The fact in this case is, Mr. Morgenthau was well liked by the German diplomatists in Pera, and, long after the outbreak of the War, was not averse to being known as a friend of Baron Wangenheim."
George A. Schreiner, The Craft Sinister: A Diplomacy Political History of the Great War and its Causes-Diplomacy and International Politics and Diplomatists as Seen at Close Range by an American Newspaperman who Serve in Central Europe as War and Political Correspondent. New York (G. Albert Geyer),1920. For American diplomacy in Turkey, see: pp.110-135 in particular. (Hereafter: Schreiner, Craft Sinister).
Schreiner, Craft Sinister: p. xxi
Schreiner, Craft Sinister: p.126. Read More . .
Craft Sinister by Schreiner-Part I
Craft Sinister by Schreiner-Part II
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