Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 5, 1892

Mr. Hirsch to Mr. Blaine.

Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, February 29, 1892. (Received March 15.)

No. 397.]

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.,

Solomon Hirsch.

[Inclosure in No. 397.]

Mr. Dwight to Mr. Hirsch.

Bible House,
Constantinople, February 29, 1892.

Dear Sir: The authorities at Mardin on 15th of this month detained for examination letters as well as printed matter which had arrived by international post for the American missionaries in that place. They declared that they have strict orders to read all letters from abroad arriving by post. On this occasion, after some conversation, the mufti gave up the letters unopened, but declared that it was a special favor due to his confidence in the loyalty of the missionaries.

I judge that there must be some misunderstanding at Mardin of an order concerning the censorship of printed matter. May I venture to ask your intervention to secure the sending of instructions to Mardin that the private correspondence of Americans which is intrusted to the Ottoman posts must not be opened or detained.

Very respectfully,

H. O. Dwight.