Horton to the American Embassy in Paris

Amembassy,
Paris.

Following is a report from Colonel Poillon, the Military Attache at Athens, who has just arrived firom Aidin where he accompanies the Greek troops in their reoccupation of that place.

“As both sides have equally pillaged and burned, the most of the town is destroyed by fire. Accounts of wholesale massacring exaggerated as about 800 civilians, Greeks and Turks, lost their lives in different attacks. There are approximately 3,000 homeless people in Aidin itself, and the number will reach 10,000 for the whole valley as several villages have been burned. During the occupation of the Turks, after the Greeks had retreated, the Christian population was protected by one British and two French officers and by Turkish regular troops of the old 57th division, who are well disciplined and bow to foreign flags.

No British or American interests suffered. Greek vessels have enough strength to maintain good order for a short period but immediate action is urgent as regards the line of occupation. There is no apparent reason as to why the Greeks should stay in the Meander valley and they have not sufficient resources to hold the position indefinitely as they are dependent on one railroad for the supply of all their troops, and this line can easily be cut off at any time.He concludes that there exist very good military reasons for extending the limits of occupation to the northeast of Magnesia and Casaba for the proper protection of the city of Smyrna. From every point of view, it would be better for the Greeks to retire voluntarily now than to be driven out later on.”

I fully concur with the conclusions of Colonel Poillon, as it will require a great effort from the Greeks to hold Aidin permanently, and their troops could be better used in the Magnesia Casaba region, in which direction they should guide their future national expansion.

Repeated to Department as Embassy's 1045, July 8.