14 
Land & Water 
May 23, 19 1 8 
The Turkish Conspiracy— II 
The Narrative of Mr. Henry Morgenthau, American Ambassador in Turkey, 
1913-1916 
Mr Henr\ Moreenlhau resiwtes his narrative of the Turkish Conspiracy, which tms begun in La^d& Water, May gth 
He stated that Germany precipitated the war to •' obtain a huge Oriental Empire that would form the basis for unlinnted 
world dominionr and explained the steps taken previous to 1914 by the Kaiser to transform Itirkey into a vassal State. 
Mr Morgenthau also described the movement that led to the ascendancy of the Young Turks, up to the Iwur of the assas- 
sination ofNazim Pasha, at the Sublime Porte, by a mob collected by Talaat and Enver , two of their leaders, Djemal 
the third leader when war was declared was sent to command armies in Asia, and henceforth played a subsidiary part. 
Mr Morgenthau also gave a vivid character study of the German Ambassador at Constantinople, Baron von Wangenheim. 
ami in this chapter he continues his portraiture by a complete sketch of Talaat Bey and a partial one of Envcr Bey. 
all his pleadings did not affect this determined man. Here, 
Talaat reasoned, was a cliance to decide, once for all, who 
was master, the Sultan or themselves ! A few days after- 
wards the melancholy figure of the imperial son-in-law, 
dangling at the end of a rope in full view ^)i the Turkish 
populace, visibly reminded- the empire that Talaat and the 
Committee wert? the masters of Turkey. After this tragical 
test of strength, the Sultan 'never attempted again to inter- 
fere in affairs of State. He knew what had happened to 
Abdul Hamid, and he feared a more terrible fate. 
AS assassination had been the means by which 
these ciiieftains had obtained the supreme power, 
so assassination continued to be the instrument 
upon which they depended for maintaining their 
control. Djemal, in addition to his other duties, 
had c(mtrol of the police ; he developed all the talents of a 
Fouch^, and did his work so successfully that any man 
who wished to conspire against the Young Turks usually 
retired for that purpose to Paris or Athens". The few 
months that preceded my arrival had been a reign of 
terror. The Young Turks had destroyed Abdul Hamid's 
regime only to adopt that Sultan's favourite methods of 
quieting opposition. Instead of having one Abdul Hamid, 
Turkey now discovered that she had several. Men were 
arrested and deported by the score, and hangings of political 
offenders— opponents, that is. of^ the ruling gang— were 
common occurrences." 
The difficult position of the Sultan particularlj- facilitated 
the position of this committee. We must remember that 
Mohammed V. was not only Sultan but Caliph— not only the 
temporary ruler, but also head of the Mohammedan Church. 
In this capacity he was an object of veneration to milhons of 
devout Mussulmans ; a fact which would have given a strong 
man in his position great influence in freeing Turkey from 
this crowd. I presume that even those who liad the most 
kindly feelings toward the Sultan would not have described 
him as an energetic, masterful man. Had his days been 
cast in more favourable times perhaps the present ruler of 
Turkey might have developed into the actual head of the 
State. It is a miracle, however, that the circumstances 
which fate had forced upon Mohammed had not long since 
completely destroyed him. His brother was Abdul Hamid— 
Gladstone's "Great Assassin," a man who ruled by espionage 
and bloodshed, and who had no more consideration for his 
own relations than for his massacred Armenians. 
One of Abdul's first acts, on ascending the throne, was to 
shut up the Heir Apparent in a palace, surrounding him 
with spies, limiting him to his harem and a few palace func- 
tionaries, and constantly holding over his head the fear of 
assassination. Naturally, Mohammed's education had been 
Umited ; he spoke only Turkish, and his only means of 
learning about the outside world was an occasional Turkish 
newspaper. So long as he remained quiescent, the Heir 
Apparent was comfortable and fairly secure ; but he knew 
that the first sign of revolt or even a too curious interest in 
what was going on, would be the signal for his death. Hard 
as this preparation was, it had not destroyed what was at 
bottom a benevolent, gentle nature. The Sultan had no 
characteristics that suggested "the Terrible Turk." He was 
simply a quiet, ca^y-going, gentlemanly old man. Every- 
body hked him, and I do not think that he nourished ill- 
feeling against a human soul. He could not rule his empire, 
for he had had no preparation for such a difficult task ; he 
could not oppose the schemes of the men who were then 
struggling for the control of Turkey. 
In exchanging Abdul Hamid, as his master, for Talaat, 
Enver and Djemal, the Sultan had not improved his personal 
position. The Committee of Union and Progre.ss ruled him 
precisely as they ruled all the rest of Turkey— by intimida- 
tion. The Sultan had attempted on one occasion to assert 
his independence, and the conclusion of this episode left no 
doubt as to who was master. A group of thirteen "con- 
spirators" and other criminals, some real ones, others merely 
political offenders, had been sentenced to be hanged, and 
among them was the imperial son-in-law. Before the execu- 
tion could take place the Sultan had to sign the death-war- 
rants. He did not object to visaing the hangings of the 
other twelve, but he begged that he be permitted to pardon 
his son-in-law. 
The nominal ruler"' of more than twenty million people 
figuratively went down_upon his knees before Talaat Bey, but 
Talaat the Postman 
Talaat, the leading man in this band of usurpers, really 
had remarkable personal qualities. He had started life as 
a letter-carrier ; from this occupation he had risen to be a 
telegraph operator at Adrianople. And of these humble 
beginnings he was extremely proud. I visited him once or 
twice at his house ; although Talaat was then the most 
powerful man in the Turkish Empire, his home was still the 
modest home of a man of the people. It was cheaply fur- 
nished ; the whole, establishment reminded me of a thirty- 
doUar-a-month apartment in New York. His most cherished 
possession was the telegraph instrument with which he had 
once earned his living ; I have seen him take the key and 
call up one of his personal friends or associates. 
Talaat one night told me he had that day received his 
salary as Minister of the Interior ; after paying his debts 
he had just twenty pounds left in the world. He liked 
to spend his spare time with the rough-shod crew that made 
up the Committee of Union and Progress ; in the interims, 
when he was out of the Cabinet he used to occupy the desk 
daily at party headquarters, personally managing the party- 
machine. His powerful frame, his huge sweeping back, and 
his rocky biceps emphasised that natural mental strength 
and forcefulness which made possible his career. In dis- 
cussing matters, Talaat liked to sit at his desk, with his 
shoulders drawn up, his head thrown back, and his wrists 
— twice the size of an ordinary man's — planted fiercely on 
the table. It always seemed to me that it would take a 
crowbar to pry these wrists from the board, once Talaat 
had laid them down. Whenever I think of Talaat now I do 
not primarily recall his rollicking laugh, his uproarious 
enjoyment of a good story, the mighty stride with which he 
crossed the room, his fierceness, his determination, his 
remorselessness — the whole life and nature of the man takes 
form in those gigantic wrists. 
Talaat, like most strong men, had his forbidding, even his 
ferocious, moods. One day I found him sitting at the usual 
place, his massive shoulders drawn up, his eyes glowering, 
his wrists planted on the desk. I always anticipated trouble 
whenever I found him in this attitude. As I made request 
after request, Talaat, between his puffs at his cigarette, 
would answer "No!" "No!" "No!" 
I shpped around to his side of the desk. 
"I think those wrists are making all the trouble, your 
Excellency," I said. "Won't you please take them off the 
table ? " 
Talaat's ogre-Uke face began to crinkle; he threw up his 
arms, leaned back, and gave a roar of terrific laughter. He en- 
joyed my joke so much that he granted every request I made. 
At another time I came into his room when a couple of 
Arab Princes were present. Talaat was solemn and dignified, 
and refused every -favour I asked. " No, I shall not do that." 
"No, I haven't the shghtest idea of doing that," he would 
answer. I saw that he was trjang to impress his princely 
guests ; to show them that he had become so great a man 
that he did not hesitate to "turn down" an ambassador. 
So I came up nearer and spoke quietly. 
"I see you are trying to make an impression on these 
Princes," I said. "Now, if it's necessary to pose, do it with 
