Mr. Olney to Mr. Riddle.
Washington, April 15, 1896.
Sir: I inclose for your information copy of a note with its accompaniment, received from the Turkish minister at this capital, under date of April 8, purporting to communicate the protest of a certain number of Armenians of Harpoot against the presence and teaching of foreign missionaries in that city. I also inclose a copy of my reply to Mavroyeni Bey.
As this Government is without present representation at Harpoot, it is proper to instruct you to show this correspondence to the British ambassador and to inquire of Sir Philip Currie whether, in order to carry out the desire of this Government, the good offices of the British vice-consul at Harpoot can be taken advantage of to ascertain the foundation for these extraordinary and, it is firmly believed, calumnious charges so far as they may affect citizens of the United States [Page 856] engaged in missionary work and teaching at that place, as well as to ascertain the genuineness of the petition in question. Should this disposition in the matter be favorable, you may assure Sir Philip Currie of the great pleasure it will give you, as the representative of this Government, to solicit his kindly offices in this behalf, believing that to do so can not be less a source of satisfaction to him than his compliance therewith can afford gratification to this Government.
I may add for your information that this note of Mavroyeni Bey, having been shown to Mr. Terrell while he was recently in Washington, he has indorsed thereon a memorandum to the effect that this memorial was shown to the dragoman of the legation several months ago; that it was sent to the Porte on the heels of the recent massacre at Harpoot, and that the Armenian signers, in their desire to secure personal safety, would have been willing to attach their names to any statement dictated to them, however calumnious and unfounded. It is to be noted that the telegram is without date, and its tardy presentation is perhaps a notable circumstance at the present juncture.
I am, etc.,