Mr. Uhl to Mr.
Terrell.
Department of State,
Washington, April 8,
1895.
No. 414.]Sir: In connection with the Department’s No.
409, of the 4th instant, touching the apprehended massacre of Christians
in Asia Minor, I have now to acknowledge the receipt of your later
dispatch, No. 462, of the 15th ultimo, upon the subject, and to inclose
for your information a copy of a letter from the Acting Secretary of the
Navy, of the 5th instant, concerning the instructions issued to the
commanders of the U. S. S. San Francisco and Marblehead, which have been ordered to proceed at
once to Turkish waters.
In this relation I confirm my telegram of the 8th instant, reading as
follows:
United States vessels San Francisco and
Marblehead ordered to visit Beirut,
Smyrna, and other points, with proper instructions to
commanders.
It is expected that this visit of our ships to the Levant, with the usual
exchange of friendly courtesies, will be productive of good.
Adding for your information and files a copy of a correspondence
exchanged between the Turkish minister and this Department upon the
subject,1
I am, etc.,
Edwin F. Uhl,
Acting Secretary.
[Page 1243]
[Inclosure in No. 414.]
Admiral Ramsay to
Mr. Gresham.
Navy Department,
Washington, April 5,
1895.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, transmitting for the
information of this Department a copy of a dispatch from the United
States minister at Constantinople, dated March 13 last, concerning
apprehensions of a massacre of Christians in Turkey, and requesting
that United States vessels be sent to Turkish waters, and to inform
you that this Department’s action in the premises has been as
follows:
On the 4th instant the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Marblehead, at Gibraltar, was directed to
proceed with dispatch to Beirut, Syria, and the commander in chief
of the European station was directed to proceed immediately with the
San Francisco from Palermo to Smyrna, and
to direct the vessels under his command to also touch at
Alexandretta and Adana. He was also directed to ascertain, by
conference with the United States consuls and resident American
citizens in the places mentioned, what foundation exists for the
alarming apprehensions expressed in regard to the massacre of
Christians in Turkey, and he was directed, should he find sufficient
grounds for such anxiety, to intimate to the responsible authorities
of the Government of Turkey that it is the intention of this
Government to afford full protection to its citizens who are
peaceably residing in that part of the world under the guarantee of
treaties.
Very respectfully, etc.,
F. M. Ramsay,
Acting Secretary.
