Mr. Thompson to Mr. Gresham.
Constantinople, April 4, 1893. (Received April 28.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the telegram from the Department of the 1st. Everything advised to be done in this telegram had already been done as the Department has heretofore been advised in my several dispatches on this subject.
Mr. Newberry, secretary of this legation, was sent by me to the aid of Consul Jewett at Marsovan because of my inability to communicate with him and he has been fully instructed to investigate the burning of the building. The land on which the building stood is in the name of a Turkish subject.
The permit to erect the building was also given to a Turkish subject, which makes the matter a difficult one to deal with, and there appears to be no good reason why the title should not have been in the name of the College Society or in the name of one of the American professors there, so the subject could be more directly dealt with. On the report being made by Mr. Newberry of the result of his investigations a copy of it will at once be submitted to the Department.
As to interference with the correspondence of the legation on the part of the postal authorities, I will say that I have protested in a most earnest manner to the Sublime Porte and the subject is now undergoing investigation. The Department has been fully advised by me on the subject. The superintendent of Turkish posts and telegraphs has called at the legation for the numbers of the registered letters that have been sent by the legation and not been delivered to Consul Jewett and the receipts which were given for the same have been submitted to him and I am assured most positively by His Highness the Grand Vizier the matter will be thoroughly inquired into at once.
While this communication appears to include more than one subject yet it is in reply to and acknowledging the receipt of the above telegram.
I have, etc.,