Mr. Rößler, Consul of the Imperial German Government at Aleppo, Marash.
Sir,
We desire to express our sense of the value of your present visit to Marash and that its results may be permanently secured, venture to approach you with the hereafter mentioned request.
It is unnecessary for us to set forth here the critical state of affairs in Marash, in recent weeks, inasmuch as you are fully acquainted with it. We rejoice that your influence has already made itself felt for good. Our fear, however, is that, when the restraint of your official presence is removed, the former conditions will return. We feel very strongly that there should be some official representative or representatives of Foreign Powers in Marash, at least until a more normal state obtains.
No one knows the situation here better than Mr. Karl Blank, and in view of this fact, we desire to prefer the following request.
As members of the American Mission we would unitedly request you to use your influence to secure the appointment of Mr. Blank as an official representative in Marash[95], of the Imperial German Government, promising to support him in every way possible in any action he may take for the safeguarding of all the interests of the various communities here.
Trusting that this request may meet with your approval, and expressing again our gratitude for what you have already done to secure better conditions here, we remain
Yours respectfully
The American Mission in Marash
E. C. Woodley, Chairman
James K. Lyman, Vice-Chairman
Kate E. Ainslie, Secretary.
Anlage 5.