Mr. Straus to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, December 15,
1899.
No. 135.]
Sir: I have the honor to submit for the
decision of the Department an application for a passport, typical of a
class of cases of like character. The circumstances are as follows:
Consul Ravndal, at Beirut, Syria, has been forwarding to this legation
during the past year a number of applications for passports from
naturalized American citizens of Turkish (Syrian) origin, but in each
case the applications were made upon recently issued naturalization
certificates unaccompanied by any previous passport. The circumstances
appeared to me suspicious that so many Syrians, native-born Turkish
subjects, well knowing the requirements of the Turkish regulations about
passports, should leave the United States for a visit to Turkey without
first obtaining an American passport. I wrote to the consul-general on
December 6, 1898, asking for an explanation of this circumstance and
calling his attention to the Department’s decision, a copy of which
dispatch is inclosed, also the consul’s reply of February 17 last, to
the effect that the applicants had entered Turkey on Turkish passports,
they alleging that before leaving New York they were informed (by whom
is not stated) that neither American passports nor naturalization
certificates were recognized in Turkey, I inclose herewith the affidavit
which accompanied the application for a passport of Abdou Sowma, a
naturalized American citizen, received at this legation on the 5th
instant, in which Sowma certifies that before leaving the United States
in December, 1897, he was instructed to provide himself with a Turkish
passport, such being absolutely necessary; that he purchased a Turkish
passport, by means of which he entered the Turkish Empire; that
immediately after his arrival he registered himself at the American
consulate. I inclose herewith an affidavit to the same effect by one
George Joseph, which also accompanied the application of Sowma.
[Page 935]
The issuing of a Turkish passport is only granted on application and is
predicated upon the applicant being a subject, the applicant presenting
his certificate of birth (hamidieh) with the implied, if not the
expressed, assumption that such applicant has always been and still is a
loyal Ottoman subject.
The question is thereby presented, Have not such persons, by applying for
and receiving an Ottoman passport regardless even of the form of such
application, voluntarily abandoned their acquired American citizenship
and their right to protection as such? In the event of the intervention
of our diplomatic or consular agents for the protection of such persons
naturalized in the United States, who having returned to Turkey, their
country of origin, with Ottoman passports, or tezkerehs, our agents
would be confronted with the statements of the applicants that they are
Turkish subjects. So by their own acts it would seem they are estopped
from claiming the protection of the United States.
The question has assumed considerable importance, as eleven similar
applications have been received by this legation during the past year,
and it will be seen from Consul Ravndal’s letter to the consul-general,
of the 24th ultimo, a copy of which is inclosed, that there is a
prospect of many more such cases recurring. Pending your decision upon
the class of cases hereby submitted, I have declined to issue passports
to the applicants in question.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Straus to
Mr. Dickinson.
United States Legation,
Constantinople, December 6, 1898.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of
your No. 70, of the 13th instant, containing, with other inclosures,
the passport applications of Saleem Jereissati and Mansour J. Urmott
and 50 postage stamps of I piaster each.
I inclose herewith a passport for Saleem Jereissati and return his
certificate of naturalization.
A passport can not be issued to Mr. Urmott on the strength of a
letter from Mr. Edson C. Marschall stating that he had forwarded by
registered letter his passport and naturalization certificate, but
which did not reach their destination. In order to procure a new
passport from the legation Mr. Urmott should obtain from America a
certified copy of his naturalization certificate and forward it to
this office.
It is a suspicious circumstance that Mr. Urmott, a Turkish subject of
origin, naturalized in the United States, on setting out from New
York for Syria on November 5, 1897, should have deliberately left
behind his passport, a document whose chief utility is for foreign
travel, with instructions that it be forwarded to him at his
journey’s end some ten or fifteen days later.
How he managed to enter Turkey without an American passport or any
document to prove his nationality the legation is not advised.
As instances have come to the knowledge of this legation where
naturalized Americans of Turkish origin returning to Turkey have
suppressed the fact of their acquired citizenship and have entered
Turkey under their old passports as Ottoman subjects, in order to
avoid bringing in question their disputed nationality, it is
desirable that the consul at Beirut should make a searching inquiry
upon what papers or in what character as to his citizenship Mr.
Urmott arrived in Tripoli on December 5, 1897, or in Beirut,
presumably a day or two earlier. Should it prove to be the case that
Mr. Urmott entered the country as a Turkish subject, our Government
is absolved from the obligation to extend protection to him. On this
point I would refer our consul at Beirut to this legation’s dispatch
No. 232, of April 20, 1894, and the Department’s instruction No.
181, of May 10, 1894, printed in the Foreign Relations for 1894, pages 757, 758, and 761.
[Page 936]
The position of our Government in the instruction referred to is
stated as follows:
“The return of a naturalized Turk to Turkey as an Ottoman subject,
under Turkish passport and with submission to Turkish authorities
over him as a subject, clearly dissolves the obligation of his
adopted country to protect him longer as a citizen, and the
obligation can certainly not be revived by the assertion or
admission of the individual that his reassumption of his original
allegiance has been colorable merely and in bad faith, with
deliberate intent to deceive. The agencies of the United States in
Turkey can not be privy to such a deception.”
I return herewith Mr. Urmott’s duplicate application, the letter
addressed to him by Mr. Edson C. Marschall, and 25 piasters in
postage stamps.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. Ravndal to
Mr. Dickinson.
United States Consulate,
Beirut, February 17,
1899.
Sir: I have to inclose herewith three
applications for passports and $3 in French stamps, also two
certificates of naturalization.
With reference to the two naturalized Americans of Syrian origin
applying for passports, it is my duty to report that they both
landed in Syria on the strength of Turkish passports.
I refused a few days ago to entertain an application for a new
passport in such a case (Khalil Zainy, naturalized by the court of
common pleas, Lucerne County, Pa., December 1, 1890). Knowing,
however, that there will appear a great number of such applicants
during the approaching season, I have decided to bring the matter
before you before taking a final stand.
Why did these people secure a Turkish passport instead of an American
one?
They invariably tell me that they were informed before leaving New
York that neither American passports nor naturalization certificates
would be recognized in Turkey; that frequently such papers were torn
up and destroyed by Turkish landing-place officials; that hey never
heard until now of any American consul in Beirut as being in
position to protect naturalized Syrians as Americans; that such
American Syrians who returned to Turkey as avowed Americans were
almost without exception insulted and molested; that they were
compelled for some urgent reason to return for a time to Syria, and
that they therefore bought a Turkish passport to avoid trouble, not
knowing that such a course would be considered a repudiation of
their American obligations and a renunciation of their American
rights. Now they are anxious to return to the United States. Such is
their story.
Mr. Charles Saleeby has two brothers and a brother-in-law in America
and sends occasional Syrian goods thither to supply their store, he
being a partner in the business. He came to United States when 16
years of age and speaks English fluently. He is very concerned over
his doubtful status.
I am, etc.,
G. Bie Ravndal,
United States Consul.
[Inclosure 3.]
I, the undersigned, Abdou Sowma, do hereby solemnly declare, under
oath, that I left the United States December, 1897; that before
leaving I made inquiries as to the requirements for entering Syria;
that I was instructed to provide myself with a Turkish passport, as
such passport would be absolutely necessary; that I came to Syria on
a Turkish passport; that I registered myself at the American
consulate on my arrival in Syria, and that I do not intend to submit
to Turkish authority over me as a subject, but shall remain a loyal
American.
Consulate of the
United States.
Beirut, November 15, 1899.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day and year next above
written.
G. Bie Ravndal.
[Page 937]
[Inclosure 4.]
I, the undersigned, George Joseph, do hereby solemnly declare, under
oath, that I left the United States July 8, 1899; that before
leaving I made several inquiries as to the requirements for entering
Syria; that I was instructed to provide myself with a Turkish
passporrt, as such passport would be absolutely necessary; that I
came to Syria on a Turkish passport; that I do not intend to submit
to Turkish authority over me as a subject, but shall remain a loyal
American.
Consulate of the
United States,
Beirut, Syria,
November 15, 1899.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day and year next above
written.
G. Bie Ravndal.
[Inclosure 5.]
Mr. Ravndal to
Mr. Dickinson.
Consulate of the United States,
Beirut Syria, November 24, 1899.
No. 70.]
Sir: In answering the inquiries made by the
legation through your dispatch No. 44, dated October 26, 1899, the
receipt of which I hereby have the honor to acknowledge, I beg to
refer to my No. 45, dated February 17, 1899, in which are summed up
the reasons why so many Syrians naturalized in the United States
fortify themselves with Turkish passports on returning to their
native land. Much misinformation prevails both at home and abroad in
regard to the efficacy of American passports and American
authorities to protect Syrians returning to their original home
after acquiring naturalization in the United States. As stated at
the close of my No. 69, I am inclined to think the practice will
soon abate. But before such a result can be obtained, hundreds of
citizens will be affected by the final position to be taken in this
matter by those in authority. In many cases the loyalty of the
Syrian applicants for American passports presenting themselves in
this office is unquestionable. Many of them own considerable
property in America, and while some appear ignorant and more or less
indifferent, and while it may be found necessary to adopt a strict
policy in order to wipe out the present abuses, I am, to say the
least, impressed with the gravity of the situation. It may not be
amiss to add that most of those naturalized Syrians who have this
year applied for passports through this office have departed for the
United States.
It is a fact which should perhaps not be overlooked in the
consideration of the present question that quite a number of
returning citizens land here clandestinely without possessing
passports of any description.
In regard to the nine applicants mentioned in your Nos. 42 and 44,
they are to be classed with George Youseph, whose affidavit I
inclose for the sake of illustration.
Other affidavits accompany the applications (in duplicate) of Abdou
Sowma, of Buffalo. N. Y., and Alex. Mansur, of Detroit, Mich., which
are herein inclosed, along with their certificates of naturalization
and the usual fees.
I am, etc.,
G. Bie Ravndal,
United States Consul.
