(Dated 5 and 18 May) Johannes Ehmann, the parish priest in Mamuret-ul-Aziz (Harput) recently reported in-depth to the Imperial Embassy on the Armenian circumstances in those areas.
It is clear from his accounts that the Vali there, whom he describes as level-headed and benevolent, has succeeded in keeping the peace in Mamuret-ul-Aziz itself. The house searches and arrests which were carried out during the past few weeks appear not to have brought any particularly incriminating evidence to light. On the other hand, Ehmann cites from Turkish sources that dynamite was found in Egin and that the Armenians under the Kizilbash Kurds in the district of Dersim were making propaganda for an association with Russia. He seems to be of the Turks' opinion that "the Armenian people were against the Turks" and "that in case of a Russian invasion the Armenians in the interior would immediately go over to the enemy".
I would like to emphasize the following passage from Mr. Ehmann's further remarks – a man who gives the impression of being a level-headed and well-informed observer – which refers to the political associations of the Armenians; he writes,