No. 203.
Mr. Francis to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Athens, July 3, 1872.
(Received July 29.)
No. 67.]
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 63, I have
the honor to transmit herewith extracts from an unofficial letter
addressed to me by Mr. Mélétopoulo, secretary-general, under date of
June 15–27, and my reply, (unofficial,) of the date of June 28, to this,
letter. I may say, in this connection, that the Greek government has
caused this correspondence to be published in the Athens newspapers,
with a view of removing misapprehensions in the public mind respecting
the origin of the false reports charging that the government had sent a
number of desperate Greek criminals to the United States.
[Page 252]
I have to report that Mr. Bulgaris, the minister of foreign affairs, and
Mr. Mélétopoulo, secretary-general, called at this legation yesterday,
and held an interview of more than half an hour with me.
Mr. Bulgaris, in behalf of the Greek government, expressed his profound
thanks for my truthful dispatch to the Department, of the date of May 4,
on the subject of brigandage in Greece, which has been republished from
the American journals by the London and Paris newspapers. He said the
gratitude of all patriotic citizens of Greece would be awakened by this
voluntary act of justice toward this kingdom and its government. Amid
such a storm of calumny as that which Greece has to encounter, he said,
it was a source of joy to him that His Majesty’s government and people
had a good and noble friend in that great power, the United States of
America, a friend that gave them encouragement and sympathy in their
struggles to overcome evils and secure good government, to promote the
welfare and progress of this kingdom, and to uphold liberty and law as
the basis of their institutions.
Mr. Bulgaris also expressed the fervent thanks of his government for the
recent act of Congress, reducing the duty on dried currants, saying that
it would prove vastly beneficial to Greece, and also advantageous to the
United States, for it would have the effect to materially increase the
commerce between the two countries, and induce reciprocal trade, from
which gain would be realized by both.
Mr. Bulgaris desired that I should communicate these sentiments to the
Government of the United States, with the expression of the best wishes
of His Majesty’s government for “the continued progress and increasing
prosperity of the great and magnanimous Republic of the West.”
I am, &c,
[Inclosure No. 1.]
Mr. Mélétopoulo,
secretary-general, &c., to Mr. Francis.
Athens, June 15–27, 1872.
My Dear Sir:* * * * You are perhaps aware
of the absurd story published some weeks ago by some American papers
about the pretended transportation of a number of convicts from
Corfu to the States. I do not know how such a hoax could be credited
there, and call forth even preventive measures of the American
authorities (as communicated to us in the report of His Majesty’s
consul in New York) against the announced landing of Greek outlaws
from a fantastic Italian ship. But the fact is, it gave rise to a
regular storm of abuse against Greece and its government in the
columns of those papers, and provoked the other day an
interpellation in our house of representatives to the minister of
justice, and criticisms in the local papers. Although His Majesty’s
consul at New York hastened to contradict the story, Mr. Bulgaris
sent to him, nevertheless, some days ago a cable dispatch to the
same purpose, saying:
“Story about transportation of convicts or outlaws to the United
States is an absurd and detestable falsehood.”
I hope, after this contradiction, the learning of truth, and the
publication of your truthful dispatch on brigandage in Greece, the
evil produced by this falsehood is remedied, and that the papers
which have reported it must feel some remorse on account of their
abuse of Greece.
* * * * * * *
Yours, faithfully,
[Page 253]
[Inclosure No. 2.]
Mr. Francis to
Mr. Mélétopoulo.
Legation of the United States,
Athens, June 23, 1872.
My Dear Sir: Your esteemed favor of last
evening is before me. I hasten to make reply, so as to disabuse your
own and the mind of the prime minister of what seems to be an
erroneous impression respecting the publication of the false reports
in American newspapers about sending Greek criminals to America.
These reports were not first published in America. 1. The detailed
article, giving names of prisoners, their crimes, and terms of
imprisonment to which they had been sentenced, and their alleged
embarkation at Corfu for the United States on the 24th of April,
appeared originally in the Ancona (Italy) Journal. It is so specific
in its statements that, very naturally, it would be accepted in
America as veritable, at least in substance, and it was copied into
the New York Times and probably other American journals as a matter
of news, 2. Besides this, I learn from a paragraph in the Washington
Republican that a cable dispatch was sent to the American newspapers
announcing the same thing. These statements, so positively set
forth, would naturally be accepted as having foundation in truth,
and hence they created attention and, no doubt, much surprise in the
United States.
I am exceedingly gratified to learn that the story is altogether a
fabrication, but it is unjust to lay the blame for its invention and
circulation to the American press. As I have pointed out, it had its
origin in Europe. I can assure you that, though entirely free, and,
as is to be expected, sometimes hasty and inconsiderate in its
utterances, the newspaper press of the United States is not reckless
nor licentious. Least of all does it sympathize with efforts to
slander and bring into contempt by persistent calumny a brave and
friendly people and government. It has shown itself to be their
friend in the past; it has never failed to give expression to the
popular feeling of sympathy in the United States for weak and
struggling nationalities that are striving for good government, and
endeavoring to overcome the obstacles of enmity and prejudice that
impede their progress.
I say so much as this for your information and to remove false and
entirely unjust impressions toward American newspapers, impressions
which I am sorry to see a prominent Greek newspaper, the Age,
endeavoring to fasten upon the public mind by a long and very
untruthful editorial in its last issue. _ With sentiments of sincere
esteem, faithfully yours,
