September 17, 1955
HOMER EARL CAPEHART: Last night US Senator Homer E. Capehart received the press at the Athenee Palace Hotel after arriving in Athens earlier in the day from Istanbul, where he had arrived on Thursday morning, September 8, the day after the anti-Greek demonstrations. First of all, he observed that as a US senator he wished to emphasize the friendship the Americans felt for Greece and for all Greeks around the world. «Hundreds of shops were destroyed,» said Senator Capehart, describing the frenzy of the Turks in Istanbul, «and the goods scattered in the streets. It was a sight that I have never seen in my own country and which the American people could not imagine. It seemed inconceivable. It was an inexcusable crime. (…) The incidents were extremely well organized and began simultaneously in many parts of the city. That is not only my opinion, but that of diplomats, officials and foreign government missions in Turkey.» The cost of the damage is estimated to be between 500 million and 3 billion Greek drachmas. (Ed. note: 30 drachmas was worth about one US dollar in 1955.)
