Mavroyeni Bey to Mr. Gresham.

[Translation.]

Mr. Secretary of State: You doubtless remember that in the course of our interviews on the subject of the return to Turkey of certain Ottoman subjects naturalized under the laws of the United States, I had repeatedly expressed my personal confidence—for I was not at that time in possession of positive instructions from my Government—that it was not possible that the Sublime Porte would imprison the said subjects solely for the gratification of so imprisoning them, and that its policy must necessarily be based on justice and law.

This confidence of mine, I am happy to say, has just been formally confirmed. Indeed, I have this instant received a telegram from his excellency Said Pasha which I hasten to transcribe herewith, begging your excellency to kindly consider its contents as officially expressing the opinion of the Imperial Government touching the matter.

Please allow no doubt to remain in the mind of the Government of the United States on the following question: The cabinet of the United States is under the impression that we imprison Ottoman subjects, naturalized citizens of the United States, who return to the empire, because they have changed their nationality. Such, however, is not the case, for, in the first place, such a procedure has never been followed to this day. In the second place, the law directs that all our subjects who have themselves naturalized abroad without complying with the laws and regulations bearing on the question, shall be prohibited from returning to Turkey, and when any of their number return to the country of their origin we are content with expelling them from the Ottoman territory. If, then, some few among these latter are imprisoned, it is certainly not by reason of their naturalization in the United States, but solely for some difficulty they may be involved in with the law.

Accept, etc.,

Mavroyeni.