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The Dane was horrified to learn that I had no gold. “Gold is essential in war-time. Gold saved my life in Russia;” and he handed me in exchange for paper fifty gold Turkish pounds, which, however, proved more weighty than useful.

The Dutch Parson gave me his blessing. Though generally optimistic and pro-Turk, he admitted that things looked unusually black at the moment, and advised me to “wait and see.”

A British Naval Officer would not admit the sarcasm of his comment that it was “very interesting” of me to “go to Angora!” He considered “the Turks the finest race on the face of the earth.... My God, they know what I mean!” And, personally, I believe they knew very well.

One American could only repeat that “it was a mad idea.... We are not safe even here. There is plenty of oil there, certainly, but—heroics is heroics!”

A Second American wanted to know “what they were giving me for this stunt,” and guessed “it was a pretty high figure.” That I was going on my own responsibility and paying my own way he “simply would not believe.”