Niles and Sutherland Report
Encyclopedia
The Niles and Sutherland Report was a report commissioned by the United States Congress
in 1919 to investigate conditions in the Ottoman Empire's eastern provinces in the aftermath of World War I
, and to assess what sort of aid was needed and whether that aid could be provided by the American Committee for Relief in the Near East (Near East Relief). It was prepared by Captain Emory H. Niles of the United States Army
and Arthur E. Sutherland Jr., and was based on their investigations at the city of Van
and its vicinity.
's larger and more expansive American Military Mission to Armenia
which had been instructed to "investigate and report on the political, military, geographic, administrative, economic, and such other considerations involved in possible American interests and responsibilities in the region". Harbord's group did not travel to Bitlis
and Van
, and their resulting report relied on information provided in Niles and Sutherland's report .
From Aleppo
, Niles and Sutherland traveled by rail to Mardin
, arriving there on 3 July 1919, where they engaged Osman Ruhi, a Turkish medical student, as their interpreter. The journey to Bitlis and Van was done on horseback, accompanied by a guard of Turkish soldiers. Their itinerary included Van, the Lake Region, Erzurum
, Erzincan
, Karakilise, and Şebinkarahisar
. Because of difficulties in transportation, war damage, lack of roads, automobiles, gasoline, and sickness, they had to make changes in the planned trip. In some areas where they saw no real war damage, such as between Erzincan and Şebinkarahisar, or where ACRNE was already active, such as Trabizond, they did not spend much time.
. Niles and Sutherland estimated that there were five thousand inhabitants in the city at the time, and close to one hundred thousand in the whole province. They reported that Van's Armenians (which they stated was approximately a quarter of the city's pre-war population) were all gone and that only 700 Armenians were left in the whole Van region, and they had to be protected by the soldiers from the vengeance of the Muslims. They reported that almost all of the Muslims were refugees who had escaped the invading Russians and Armenians, then returned when the Russians pulled back. Their report claimed immense death and destruction at the hands of Armenians, and stated that the Muslim sections of Van and Bitlis
were completely demolished while the rest, mostly Armenian neighborhoods were mostly intact. In this, the Niles and Sutherland Report contradicts other reports, including that of the Harbord Report
which found Armenian housing in other areas to be in ruins and eyewitness accounts of the actual destruction during the siege of Van
in 1915. The report claimed that two thirds of the pre-war Muslim population was no longer in Van after the war and that there were no shops, no schools and no markets or warehouses left; only two hospitals were kept open by the efforts of the governor. Much of the city had to be rebuilt.
has reported that he found a draft copy of the report among the documents of the Harbord Commission held in the Library of Congress
, and that he believed it to be the only surviving copy, and that all other copies, including the originals of their interviews with locals, have been either lost or more likely destroyed. .
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1919 to investigate conditions in the Ottoman Empire's eastern provinces in the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and to assess what sort of aid was needed and whether that aid could be provided by the American Committee for Relief in the Near East (Near East Relief). It was prepared by Captain Emory H. Niles of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Arthur E. Sutherland Jr., and was based on their investigations at the city of Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
and its vicinity.
Harbord Commission
Niles and Sutherland's inspection of Eastern Turkey was loosely coordinated with that of General James HarbordJames Harbord
James Guthrie Harbord was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army and President and Chairman of the Board of RCA....
's larger and more expansive American Military Mission to Armenia
Harbord Commission
The Harbord Commission was a U.S. political commission tasked with studying the relationship between the United States and Armenia following World War I....
which had been instructed to "investigate and report on the political, military, geographic, administrative, economic, and such other considerations involved in possible American interests and responsibilities in the region". Harbord's group did not travel to Bitlis
Bitlis
Bitlis is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The town is located at an elevation of 1,400 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary of the Tigris. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include...
and Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
, and their resulting report relied on information provided in Niles and Sutherland's report .
From Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Niles and Sutherland traveled by rail to Mardin
Mardin
Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arabic-like architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria.-History:...
, arriving there on 3 July 1919, where they engaged Osman Ruhi, a Turkish medical student, as their interpreter. The journey to Bitlis and Van was done on horseback, accompanied by a guard of Turkish soldiers. Their itinerary included Van, the Lake Region, Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, Erzincan
Erzincan
-Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used...
, Karakilise, and Şebinkarahisar
Sebinkarahisar
Şebinkarahisar is a town and a district of Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of eastern Turkey.-Name:The 6th century Byzantine historian Procopius writes that the Roman general Pompey captured the then ancient fortress and renamed it Colonia, in Greek Koloneia...
. Because of difficulties in transportation, war damage, lack of roads, automobiles, gasoline, and sickness, they had to make changes in the planned trip. In some areas where they saw no real war damage, such as between Erzincan and Şebinkarahisar, or where ACRNE was already active, such as Trabizond, they did not spend much time.
City of Van
Arriving by horseback at the city of Van in the summer of 1919, they were the first outsiders to see Van since the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Niles and Sutherland estimated that there were five thousand inhabitants in the city at the time, and close to one hundred thousand in the whole province. They reported that Van's Armenians (which they stated was approximately a quarter of the city's pre-war population) were all gone and that only 700 Armenians were left in the whole Van region, and they had to be protected by the soldiers from the vengeance of the Muslims. They reported that almost all of the Muslims were refugees who had escaped the invading Russians and Armenians, then returned when the Russians pulled back. Their report claimed immense death and destruction at the hands of Armenians, and stated that the Muslim sections of Van and Bitlis
Bitlis
Bitlis is a town in eastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The town is located at an elevation of 1,400 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis River, a tributary of the Tigris. The local economy is mainly based on agricultural products which include...
were completely demolished while the rest, mostly Armenian neighborhoods were mostly intact. In this, the Niles and Sutherland Report contradicts other reports, including that of the Harbord Report
Harbord Commission
The Harbord Commission was a U.S. political commission tasked with studying the relationship between the United States and Armenia following World War I....
which found Armenian housing in other areas to be in ruins and eyewitness accounts of the actual destruction during the siege of Van
Van Resistance
The Siege of Van, Resistance at Van, Van Resistance or Van Rebellion, Van Revolt , Armenian Revolution at Van was an insurgency against the Ottoman Empire's attempts to massacre the Armenian population in the vilâyet of Van...
in 1915. The report claimed that two thirds of the pre-war Muslim population was no longer in Van after the war and that there were no shops, no schools and no markets or warehouses left; only two hospitals were kept open by the efforts of the governor. Much of the city had to be rebuilt.
Discovery of document
Justin McCarthyJustin McCarthy (American historian)
Justin A. McCarthy is an American demographer, professor of history at the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky. He holds an honorary doctorate from Boğaziçi University, Turkey, and is a board member of the Institute of Turkish Studies...
has reported that he found a draft copy of the report among the documents of the Harbord Commission held in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, and that he believed it to be the only surviving copy, and that all other copies, including the originals of their interviews with locals, have been either lost or more likely destroyed. .
External links
- http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2005/07/67-captain-emory-niles-and-mr-arthur.html
- http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Report_of_Niles_and_Sutherland_-_Investigation_through_Eastern_Turkish_Vilayets.pdf a full copy of the report.