The resistance which the Turkish government has to fight within its own camp over its plan to re-organise all parts of governmental administration solely with Germany's assistance is also based on the suspicion that Germany, in its future policy towards Turkey, could count on one of the foreign people rather than the Turks, just as formerly the powers of the quadruple association and the United States did. However, the loss of the Armenians as negotiators of European trade also represents a loss for us. But the Turks' trust is too important for us to endanger it by attempting to re-acquire their old role for the Armenians.
The Hülfsbund für christliches Liebeswerk im Orient (German Christian Charity-Organisation for the Orient), the Deutsche Orientmission (German Mission for the Orient), the Deutsch-Armenische Gesellschaft (German-Armenian Society) and the deaconesses of Kaiserswerth have never misused their activities for political and commercial propaganda. They wanted to "serve the Armenian people", as the characteristic saying goes. To this end, they have spent many hundreds of thousands of marks and done a lot of selfless work, which could have been put to better use at home in Germany or for Germans residing abroad. They earned little thanks for this. At the beginning of the World War, the Turkish Armenians immediately took up a stand against Germany; long before the beginning of the persecution of the Armenians, they were the supporters of the enemy agitation against us.
The terrible need, which arose from these persecutions could only by relieved through the expenditure of many millions. Until now, the Turkish government has refused any relief action. It cannot be foreseen whether it will accept this at a later stage. Probably the entire world will be called upon to give assistance, even if those rich Armenians living abroad will probably do very little.
As soon as they are no longer restricted by military censorship, the German organisations no doubt plan to develop an active agitation and would, without doubt, find benevolent souls in Germany who would give large sums for the Armenian people. Such a large-scale action would arouse the Turks' suspicions and, furthermore, large means would be wasted without any use for us. Naturally, the suppression of German pro-Armenian societies is out of the question. Taking into consideration the means in which our enemies have made use of Turkey's Armenian policy against us, it would be desirable for us that, as soon as circumstances permit, Germans privately begin to give assistance to the Armenians. But this relief action must by no means go beyond the framework of that which was given before the war. The Imperial Government must also exercise the greatest restraint in the support of the societies' endeavours.
I take the liberty of recommending that we work privately and by means of appropriate administrative measures to ensure that the volume of the collections for the Armenians in Germany does not become too extensive.
[Note by Rosenberg]