Mr. Gresham to Mr.
Newberry.
Department
of State,
Washington, May 15,
1893.
No. 87.]Sir: In connection with the Department’s
instruction, No. 77, of the 29th ultimo, I herewith transmit a copy of a
letter from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions dated
Boston, the 10th instant, concerning the title to the missionary property at
Marsovan, and the conditions proposed for securing an imperial Iradé in favor of Anatolia College. From this letter
it appears that all the real estate connected with the college, excepting
the lot on which the recently burned building of the girls’ school stood, is
recorded in the names of American citizens. With regard to this lot, it is
observed that it may by this time have been recorded in the name of the
American owner; and if not, that it soon will be.
In the matter of the imperial firman, Mr. Smith remarks that the “trustees of
Anatolia College, located at Marsovan, are members of the prudential
committee of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions,
resident in Massachushetts, most of them in the city of Boston,” and
suggests that “there are strong reasons why it would be well that the firman
should be issued in the name of these American trustees of the college who
are the real owners of the property.”
The Department regards the explanation of Mr. Smith’s letter in the matter of
the title of the premises as satisfactory, and desires you to exert your
good offices to secure the promised firman in the name of the American
trustees of the college. Should the Turkish Government insist otherwise and
prefer to have it issued in the name of the American missionaries at
Marsovan, it is presumed that Dr. Dwight or Dr. Biggs can furnish you with
the names of these gentlemen. It is possible that Dr. Smith may wish to
submit the names of the individuals in each case, and if so, the Department
will promptly make known the nature of his reply in this particular.
I am, etc.
[Page 634]
[Inclosure in No. 87.]
Mr. Smith to Mr.
Gresham.
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions,
1 Somerset
Street,
Boston,
May 10, 1893.
Sir: Referring to your favor of the 3d instant,
containing inquiries in respect to the tenure of missionary property at
Marsovan and the conditions proposed for securing an imperial
recognition for the college at Marsovan, I have to say that I have
consulted Mr. Tracy, for twenty years a resident at Marsovan and for
five years president of the college, and have his reply before me.
From his letter I gather the following facts: (1) All the real estate
connected with Anatolia College, the Girls’ Seminary, and the missionary
residences at Marsovan, is held by American citizens and recorded in
their names (most of it in Mr. Tracy’s name), the only exception being
the lot on which the burned building stood. That lot immediately adjoins
the other premises, and was but recently purchased; (2) this lot, on
which the building for the girls’ school which was burned stood, was
purchased, according to a prevailing custom in the country, by a native
friend of the college, who was able to manage the bargain far better
than the American missionaries could have done. At the time when the
permit for erecting this girls’ school building was obtained the
property had not yet been transferred to the Americans at Marsovan, and
as a building permit is always issued in the name of the owner of the
property, this was granted in the name of Dr. Altoonian. This Dr.
Altoonian is an Armenian, a native of the country, a warm friend of the
missionaries, the physician of the college and the missionaries, and a
member of the local board of managers for the college.
In all these transactions the Americans were principals. Dr. Altoonian
was the agent, though not ostensibly, at the time. The land was really
purchased by and for the Americans, and this was known at Marsovan and
elsewhere, and is proved by the following circumstances.
- (1)
- The lot on which the new building was to stand was walled in with
the rest of the missionary premises soon after the purchase, and
that without objection from any source. This removal of the boundary
line shows possession—at least in Turkey.
- (2)
- All the material for the building was brought through the American
premises and stored on the American premises, and all the expense in
building was paid directly by the Americans.
- (3)
- The Turkish Government, in paying indemnity to the Americans for
damage done to these premises by the fire, has already acknowledged
the ownership to vest in the Americans. That Government would not
stultify itself by indemnifying the Americans for damage done to one
of its own citizens.
Mr. Tracy is not entirely sure that the lot has not already been recorded
in the name of the American owner; but if that is not the case it is due
no doubt to the disturbed condition af affairs at Marsovan during the
last four months. This lot is a very insignificant fraction of the
entire premises occupied by the American missionaries and their several
buildings in Marsovan. It would be quite within bounds to say that
nine-tenths, probably nineteen-twentieths, of all the land occupied by
the mission on which the college buildings, the present girls’ school
building, and the missionary residences stand, has for a long time stood
in the name of Mr. Tracy or of some other of the American citizens
resident there. The answer, therefore, to your second question, namely,
whether the firman which we desire is to issue in favor of American
citizens or native subjects of Turkey as the owners of the realty and
organizers of the institution, is that it is to issue in favor of the
American citizens resident at Marsovan or to that one of them in whose
name the property now stands recorded.
A further question may arise in connection with this matter of the
imperial firman. The trustees of Anatolia College, located at Marsovan,
are the members of the prudential committee of the American board of
commissioners for foreign missions, resident here in Massachusetts, most
of them in the city of Boston. There are strong reasons why it would be
well that the firman should be issued in the name of these American
trustees of the college, who are the real owners of the property which
has been purchased at Marsovan, or which is comprised in buildings
there, and now held in the name of Mr. Tracy or some other of our
missionaries at that point. If the Turkish Government, however, insists,
as it may, perhaps, that it should issue in the name of persons in
Turkey, then the names of the missionaries now resident at Marsovan
should be given and their successors.
I trust that these statements substantially answer the inquiries raised
in your favor of the 3d instant. Permit me to add the expression of the
wish shared by my associates and by all the officers of the American
Board, that our Government will at
[Page 635]
this juncture use all proper influence to secure
from the Turkish Government the imperial firman recognizing the college
at Marsovan and securing to it perpetuity of existence and protection by
the Turkish Government.
I am, etc.,
