Office of the Historian

Mr. Terrell to Mr. Olney.

Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, December 4, 1895.
No. 702.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose the copy of a note from Tevfik Pasha, minister of foreign affairs, dated the 3d instant. I do not at present deem it expedient to notice the praise bestowed on the conduct of the [Page 1366] Imperial troops during the massacres at Harpoot by the note of his excellency. Information deemed reliable shows that they made no effort to protect American property from incendiary burning, and joined in the pillage.

I have, etc.,

A. W. Terrell.
[Inclosure in No. 702.—Translation.]

Tevfik Pasha to Mr. Terrell.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sublime Porte,
Constantinople, December 3, 1895.

Mr. Envoy: I have received the note, No. 100, of the 27th ultimo, which your excellency addressed me on the subject of the Americans in this Empire.

I have already informed your excellency that the Sublime Porte has sent formal instructions to the provincial authorities to assure the safety of Americans.

It appears from a recent telegram from the Imperial authorities of Mamouret-ul-Aziz (vilayet of Harpoot) that during the disorders which took place in those districts the Imperial troops put forth all their efforts for the protection of Americans, and that at the present moment a company of soldiers is still charged with watching over their security.

Besides, the aforementioned missionaries, to whom the Imperial authorities offered to furnish the protection they sought, replied that, thanks to the measures taken, they had no further fear and were in the enjoyment of perfect tranquillity.

As for the American houses destroyed at Harpoot and Marash, they were burned at the time of conflagrations started in those towns by Armenian rioters.

Receive, etc.,

Tevfik.