3238) Water Cure-Torture by The American Soldiers In The Philippine-American War 1899-1902

Famous “Water Cure" As Mentioned by Ahmet Rüstem Bey, The Ambassador To The USA

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Updated by TruckTurkey

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Excerpts From :The Armenian Propaganda in the United States and Ambassador Ahmet Rüstem Bey, The World War and the Turco-Armenian Question, Berne, 1918

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Regarding the detachments from the imperial army, several of which have committed excesses here and there, was their conduct so essentially contrary to human nature, and in contrast with that of Western troops? Considering that they were maddened by the action of Armenians, whose cooperation with Russians had decided the fate of more than one battle in favor of the latter! Could it be expected that they would not avenge the misdeeds of the whole Armenian population on fractions of this race, which were perhaps not in actual criminal activity, but which they had reasons to believe guilty of past crimes or ready to commit and felony at the first favorable opportunity? Are they no precedents to “blood lust” at the thought of the savage attacks perpetrated against soldiers’ homes, of the ruins, of the mutilated bodies? Can it be wondered that here and there, soldiers from those detachments should have lost their senses to the extent of carrying out on their adversaries the cruel methods the latter had practiced on themselves? Can the atrocities committed by Wellington’s troops in Spain be recalled? Can we speak of the American Indian Wars, and of the struggle against Filippinos?1

1 There are no atrocities or acts of brigandage that the troops of Wellington did not commit in Spain whenever they met with any resistance in cities.

In the first Indian Wars, American soldiers amused themselves by throwing to one another babies captured from the enemy and catching them on the point of their bayonets. In the Philippines, they resorted to torture in order to elicit information from the natives concerning the movements of Aguinaldo. One form of this torture was the famous “water cure.”

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A.Rüstem Bey (Ankara, n.d.). Son of a Polish convert to Islam and an English mother, a member of a well-known British family resident in Istanbul, Ahmed Rüstem (1862–1935) was a career diplomat. As a result of exposing corruption in the Hamidian diplomatic service he was forced to live in exile between 1900 and 1908, being recalled after the revolution. Ahmed Bey was appointed ambassador in Washington in 1914 but was declared persona non grata in September because he retaliated to American criticism of his government’s policies by denouncing the lynching of Blacks in the South and the use of water torture in the Philippines.

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The year was 1900
".....The British who occupied Istanbul searched for evidence against the Turkish military and civilian officials they exiled to the island of Malta for 30 months but had to release them when they could not find anything of importance against them. On the other hand, Armenian officials were stressing the fact that they had fought in the ranks of the allied powers and were officially a party to the war so long as they kept the hope of establishing an Armenian State on the Ottoman territory as foreseen in the Treaty of Sevres. However, when the Treaty of Sevres was abrogated they held on to the Armenian Genocide as made up by the Western States. During the 10 years (1979-1989), I served as Ambassador in Washington the activities of the Armenian lobbly to pass a bill from the US Congress accusing Turkey of Armenian Genocide continued incessantly. As a result of these efforts and with the strong support of the Greek lobby, Armenians were able to bring a bill to the floor of the General Council of the House of Representatives. However, in both cases where heated discussions took place the bills were rejected. The rejection of these claims which are seen as undisputed facts by the Armenian lobby, their supporters and a majority of the Americans angered the Armenian circles. Not knowing what to do they wanted to declare the Turkish Ambassador as ´persona non grata´. Deputy Speaker Tony Coelho presented a draft law to the House of Representatives with the signature of 60 deputies with that purpose. This attempt failed. However, the interesting point is that, the incident which led President Wilson to declare Ottoman Ambassador Ahmet Rustem Bey as ´persona non grata´ on 19 September 1914 was also concerned with the Armenian claims. In an article he sent to the ´Washington Star´ Rustem Bey had replied that the American Press had defamated the Ottoman Empire with the groundless claims of oppression on the Armenians and other Christian subjects and that Washington had to learn how to treat the blacks humanely......."

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Ahmet Rüstem Bilinski (1862-1935)
The incident which led President Wilson to declare Ottoman Ambassador Ahmet Rustem Bey as 'persona non grata' on 19 September 1914 was concerned with the Armenian claims. In an article he sent to the 'Washington Star' Rustem Bey had replied that the American Press had defamated the Ottoman Empire with the groundless claims of oppression on the Armenians and other Christian subjects and that Washington had to learn how to treat the blacks humanely.

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The Washington Post | Washington, D.C. Oct 8, 1914
TURKEY NOT TO FIGHT
Desires Only to Be Let Alone, Says A. Rustem Bey. WILL RETURN TO WASHINGTON Ambassador Sails for Constantinople. Has Not Resigned and Has Not Been Recalled, but Is Going Home on Business -- Stands by Interview Which Offended President.

New York, Oct. 7. -- A. Rustem Bey, Turkish Ambassador to the United States, sailed for Naples on the Italian liner Stampalia, today, after announcing that he stood by the interview he gave in Washington recently and that he intended to return to the United States.

NEW TURKISH ENVOY MOSLEM
Rustem Bey, Assigned to Embassy Here, Recently Embraced Islam Faith.
The Washington Post Washington, D.C. Special to The Washington Post.
Date: Jun 21, 1914

Constantinople, June 20. -- Alfred Rustem Bey de Bilinski, who has just succeeded to the post of Ambassador to the United States, has received widespread commendation in the Turkish newspapers because he recently embraced the Islam faith. He has Polish blood on his father's side, and his mother was Alice Sadison, of all aristocratic British family, which has been settied in Constantinople for two or three generations.

Books by Ahmet Rüstem Bilinski

La Guerre Mondiale et la question turco-armenienne (1918)
La Crise Proche-Orientale et la question des Détroits de Constantinople (1922)
La Paix d'Orient et l'accord franco-turc, "L'Orient et Occident" (1922)

http://maviboncuk.blogspot.com/2006/12/ahmet-rstem-bilinski-1862-1935.html

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Direct Link To The Document

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Osmanli’da Onurlu Bir Diplomat ve Milli Mücadele’nin Önemli Simasi: Ahmed Rüstem Bey by Dr. Senol KANTARCI
Partially English

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Direct Link To The Document

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