Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham.
Constantinople, September 29, 1893. (Received October 16.)
Sir: The unsatisfactory condition of the treaty relations between the United States and Turkey on the subject of naturalization is daily becoming more embarrassing. The recent correspondence between the Turkish minister and yourself on the subject of Turkish policy in refusing to naturalized Armenian subjects the right to return here, had its origin in their belief that they returned only for seditious work. I am applied to almost daily to relieve returning Armenians from annoyance and arrest.
Thus far, while the Turk will not concede to those naturalized after 1869 the status of American citizenship, I have succeeded in securing in each case the relief needed. But in the nature of things this good fortune in evading trouble can not last long. The Asiatic scarcely ever becomes naturalized until he is ready to return. I have had [Page 684] occasion to inspect a number of certificates of naturalization for Armenians issued on the eve of their departure from America.
Two cases are now before me of returned Armenians who went to America since 1889 without the consent of Turkey. One is, as I have just learned, in prison in Stamboul. I have instructed the consul-general, to whom he has appealed, to demand from the municipal authorities his release. If they refuse, I will demand his release at the Porte unless he is imprisoned on a charge of crime committed, and if it be refused telegraph you for instructions.
I had occasion in a former dispatch to refer to the danger, daily more apparent, arising from the defect in our treaty relations with Turkey on the subject of naturalization, and I desire to call attention to the policy of England as shown in her statute 33, Vict. c. 14. On every passport issued by Great Britain is printed this language: “This passport is granted with the qualification that the bearer shall not, when within the limits of the foreign state of which he was a subject previously to obtaining his certificate of naturalization, be deemed to be a British subject, unless he has ceased to be a subject of that state in pursuance of the laws thereof, or in pursuance of a treaty to that effect.”
The European emigrant in the United States generally naturalizes in good faith; the Asiatic very rarely does. I am in a position to know that it is the rule rather than the exception that the Armenian returns soon after he is naturalized, and comes back with the intention of remaining.
I said to the grand vizier only last week that when my country naturalized a man it followed him with its flag so long as he was honest, and that while I regretted the disagreement as to the status of Armenians naturalized since their law of 1869 without their consent, it could only be regulated as to the future by treaty, and as Turkey was the power most interested I awaited her propositions, for I had no instructions, and hence no propositions to make.
I am sure that the security of our Christian people in Asia Minor depends largely on wise treaty stipulations regulating the naturalization of Turkish subjects.
I have, etc.,