Mavroyeni Bey to
Mr. Gresham.
[Translation.]
Imperial Legation of Turkey,
Imperial Legation of Turkey, December 22, 1894. (Received December
26.)
Mr. Secretary of State: Referring to the
conversation I have just had the honor to have with your excellency this
afternoon, I hasten to transmit herewith a copy of the telegram, dated
the 16th instant, which I have received from the Sublime Porte, in
connection with the designation of Mr. Jewett; telegram which I had,
moreover, read to your excellency on the 17th instant.
[Page 722]
On that date, that is to say, the 17th instant, I transmitted by cable to
the Sublime Porte all the particulars which you were pleased to give me
in reply to this telegram of the Sublime Porte, requesting telegraphic
instructions at the same time.
Unfortunately I have not, up to date, received any reply.
Accept, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Telegram.]
Saїd Pasha to
Mavroyeni Bey.
Mr. Terrell informed us to-day that he had just received instructions
from his Government directing him to request of His Imperial
Majesty, the Sultan, our August Master, his high assent to the
proposal of having the consul of the United States at Sivas join the
Sassoun investigating commission. We brought to his attention the
fact that in consequence of the refusal of the Washington cabinet to
accede to the proposal which we had originally made to the end of
delegating an American official to the above said investigation, we
had applied, for the same purpose, to the cabinets of London, Paris,
and St. Petersburg, which have accepted the proposal of the Imperial
Government, and agreed to having a delegate from their respective
consuls at Erzeroum attend the labors of the above-said commission;
that, in view of the phase taken at the present time by the
question, it would be extremely damaging for us to accept an
American official, for the reason that, in that event, the other
powers, parties to the Berlin treaty, would deem it their duty to
also participate, and it would then be obvious that the matter, thus
assuming a European character, would later on be of such a nature as
to create grave complications; moreover, when it is known that the
delegates of the three consuls have been sent to the spot, quiet
will be restored in impartial public opinion which, while waiting
for the result of the investigation, would give no credit to the
untruthful publications of the Armenian committees and their
friends; that, for all these reasons, the opportunity of our
accepting an American official for the purpose in question had gone
by. We therefore urged Mr. Terrell to communicate all the remarks
and considerations above set forth to his Government.
