Mr. Hirsch to Mr. Blaine.
Constantinople, February 29, 1892. (Received March 15.)
Sir: Rev. H. O. Dwight, in a letter of this date, a copy of which is herewith inclosed, informs me that private letters addressed to the missionaries at Mardin had been detained for examination. During an interview to-day with his highness the grand vizier, I brought the matter to his attention and said to him that I could not consent to the examination of private letters of American citizens. His highness replied that no censorship is contemplated over such private correspondence, nor had any order to that effect ever been issued to his knowledge, and that immediate inquiry would be made to ascertain upon what authority the Mardin officials acted. A censorship, he stated, was exercised over printed matter, including newspapers coming into the Empire, some of which, issued by Armenians in America and containing articles inimical to the Turkish Government are sent here and into the provinces from the United States. Further than that no examination of mail matter will be had.
I have, &c.,