July 4, 1918 
Land &: Water 
The Turkish Conspiracy — VIII 
A Plot to Assassinate Sir Louis Mallet, the British Ambassador 
Narrated by Mr. Morgenthau, late American Ambassador in Constantinople 
A plot to assassinate Sir Louis Mallet, British Ambassador 
at Constantinople, is related by Mr. Morgenthau in this 
chapter. It is the first time this has been Jiiade 
public. With the rise of Enver, a ^' tried statesman" 
according to von Kiihlmann, a penniless adventurer who 
had grown rich on German gold according to Mr. 
Morgenthau, Germany's influence in Tiirkcy had become 
predomi}iant. But '■^distressing as was the collapse of 
British influence in Turkey, the honour of Great Britain 
and her Ambassador was still secure." In these 
words Mr. Morgenthau stiffis up the position. It 
is a thrilling revelation of international diploinacy. 
A QUESTION, 
which had been 
under discus- 
sion for several 
months, now 
became involved in the 
Turkish international situa- 
tion. That was the matter 
of the Capitulations. These 
were the treaty rights which 
for centuries hadjregulated 
tlie position of foreigners 
in the Turkish Empire. 
Turkey had never been 
admitted to a complete 
equality with European 
nations ; in reahty she had never been an independent 
sovereignty. The Sultan's law and customs differed so 
radically from those of Europe and America that no non- 
Moslem country could think of submitting its citizens in 
Turkey to them. In many matters, therefore, the principle 
of ex-territoriality had always prevailed. Most puropean 
countries as well as tjie United States had their own consular 
courts and prisons for trying and punisliing crimes which 
their nationals committed in Turkey. We all had our schools, 
subject, not to Turkish law and protection, but to that of 
the country which maintained them. Thus Robert College 
and the Constantinople College for Women, those wonderful 
institutions which American philanthropy has erected on 
the Bosphorus, practically stood on American territory and 
looked upon the American Embassy as their guardian. 
Several nations had their own post offices, as, perhaps not 
unnaturally, they did not care to submit their mail to the 
Ottoman postal service. 
Turkey also did not have unlimited power of taxation 
over foreigners. It could not even increase their customs 
taxes without the consent of the Foreign Powers. In 1914 it 
could collect only 11 per cent, in tariff dues, and was attempt- 
ing to secure the right to increase the amount to 14. We have 
always regarded England as the only Free Trade country ; 
yet this limitation in Turkish Customs dues practically made 
the Ottoman Empire an unwilling follower of Cobden. Turkey 
was thus prohibited by the Powers from developing any 
industries of her own ; instead, she was forced to take large 
quantities of inferior articles from Europe. Against these 
theCapitulations. Rumour 
said that Germany had 
consented as part of the 
bargain for Turkish co- 
operation ; and that Eng- 
land had agreed to the 
abrogation, as part of her 
payment for Turkish neu- 
trality. Neither of these 
reports was true. What 
was manifest, however, 
was the panic which the 
mere suggestion of abro- 
gation produced on the 
foreign population. The 
idea of becoming subject 
to the Turkish laws and perhaps being thrown into Turkish 
prisons made their flesh creep — and with good reason. 
About this time I had a long conference with Enver. He 
asked me to call at his residence, as he was laid up with an 
infected toe, the result of a surgical operation. I thus had 
an illuminating glimpse of the Minister of War en famille. 
Certainly this humble man of the people had risen in the world. 
His house* was in one of the quietest and most aristocratic 
parts of the city ; it was a splendid old building, very large 
and very elaborate. I was ushered through a series of four 
or five halls ; as I went by one door the Imperial Princess, 
Enver's wife, slightly opened it and peeped through at me. 
Farther on another Turkish lady opened her door and also 
obtained a fleeting glimpse of the Ambassadorial figure. I 
was finally escorted into a beautiful room in which Enver lay 
rechning on a semi- sofa. He had on a long silk dressing 
gown and his stockinged feet hung languidly over the edge 
of thedivan. He looked much younger than in his uniform ; 
he was an extremel}' neat and well-groomed object, with a 
pale, smooth face, made even more striking by his black 
hair, and with dehcate white hands, and long tapering fingers.. 
He might have easily have passed for under thirty ; in fact, 
he was not much over that age. He had at hand a violin, 
and a piano near by also testified to his musical tastes. 
The room was splendidly tapestried; its most con- 
spicuous feature was a dais upon which stood a golden chair ; 
this was the marriage throne of Enver's Imperial wife. As I 
glanced around at all this luxurj-, I must admit that a few 
uncharitable thoughts came to mind and that I could not 
restrictions Turkish statesmen had protested for years ; they • helppondcringaquestion which was tht^n being generally asked 
declaring that they constituted an insult to their pride as in Constantinople. Where did Enver get the money for this 
a nation and also 
interfered with 
their progress. 
However, the 
agreement was a 
' bi-lateral one and 
Turkey could not 
change it with- 
out the unani- 
mDus consent of 
all the contracting 
Powers. 
Certainly tlie 
present moment, 
when both the 
Allied and the 
Central Powers 
were cultivating? 
Turkey, furnished 
a valuable oppor- 
tunity to make the 
change. .\nd so, 
as soon as the 
Germans had 
started on their 
march toward 
Paris, the air was 
filled with reports 
that .Turkey in- 
tended to abrogate 
Djcmal, Minister of Marine 
On the right, and Enver, Minister of War — on the left. Popular report »aid that Djcmal was pro Entente. 
Whcn ncw3 came that the Germans, in command of Turkish warships, had bombarded Odessa, and so had 
pushed Turkey into war, Djcmcl was playing cards at the Ccrcle D'Orient. He expressed his surprise and 
declared that he had issued no orders for the bombardment. The Germans simply did it on their own 
respon»ibili»y in order to make war inevitable between Turkey and the Allied Powers. 
expensive estab- 
lishment ? He had 
no fortune of his 
own, his parents 
had been wretch- 
edly poor, and 
his salary as a 
Minister was only 
about £1,500 a 
year. His wife had 
a moderate allow- 
ance as an Im- 
perial princess, but 
she liad no private 
resources. Enver 
had never engaged 
in business — he 
had been a revolu- 
tionist, " military 
leader, and poh- 
tician 'all his life. 
But ]i-i here was 
Enver] hving] at 
a rate that de- 
manded a very 
large income. In 
other wajs Enver 
was giving evi- 
dences of great 
and sudden pros- 
