Mr. Griscom to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, January 31,
1901.
No. 316.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
inclosed a copy of a dispatch from Consul Merrill at Jerusalem, wherein
he reports that he has been notified of a new order issued by the
Ottoman minister of the interior in relation to foreign Jews who visit
Palestine. The order applies to all Jews who come to Palestine from
other countries as pilgrims or visitors, and it provides as follows:
On arriving at Jaffa the visitor must deliver his passport to the Turkish
authorities and receive in return a Turkish document. The visitor is
allowed to reside in the country three months, at the expiration of
which time he must surrender his Turkish permit, receive his passport,
and leave. In case they do not leave when requested at the expiration of
the time allowed, the consuls of different nationalities are to be
called upon to compel their subjects to depart.
Mr. Merrill points out that the only hold the consulate has on
naturalized American Jews in Palestine is the possession of their
passport and citizenship papers. Also, they do not always depart at
Jaffa, the usual point of arrival. If they do not leave at the
expiration of three months, the consul must have authority to send them
away in case they refuse to go. The refusal is generally given on the
grounds of having no money.
As I am transmitting this dispatch at once for the information and
instructions of the Department, I have not yet ascertained what action,
if any, the other foreign missions propose to take in the matter.
I have, etc.,
[Page 517]
[Inclosure.]
Consul Merrill
to Mr. Griscom.
United States Consulate,
Jerusalem, January 14,
1901.
Sir: We have received from the governor of
Jerusalem a copy of an order from the Turkish minister of the
interior at Constantinople relative to Jews who visit Palestine.
Said order, we are notified, goes into effect on the 15th of January
Greek style, or January 29 of our reckoning.
The order applies to all Jews who come to Palestine from other
countries as pilgrims or visitors.
The conditions are as follows:
On arriving at Jaffa the visitor must deliver his passport to the
Turkish authorities and receive therefor a Turkish document. The
visitor is allowed to reside in the country three months. At the
expiration of that time he must leave the country, surrender his
Turkish permit, and receive therefor his passport.
In case that foreign subjects do not leave when requested at the
expiration of their permits, the consuls of the different
nationalities are to be called upon to compel their subjects to go
away.
When an American naturalized Jew arrives in Palestine the only hold
we have upon him is his passport and citizen papers, if he has any.
If his passport is deposited with the Turkish authorities at Jaffa,
where he lands, what shall we do?
Again, visitors frequently make their way north up through the
country and embark at Beirut. But if their passports have been
deposited with the Turkish authorities at Jaffa, and held by them,
what can be done?
If such visitors are obliged to leave at the expiration of the three
months, the consul must be authorized to send them away in case they
refuse to go. They will almost certainly plead that they can not go
because they “have no money.”
This order concerns this consulate more than any other United States
consulate in Turkey, for it is well known that to one naturalized
Jew landing at any other port, 25 or 30 land at Jaffa, the port of
Jerusalem.
It will be seen at once that in this matter definite instructions are
needed. Otherwise the same old chronic trouble will reappear; the
consul says one thing and the local Turkish authorities say another
thing; there will be constant irritation and annoyance.
I should have communicated these facts earlier to the legation, but
it is only within a few days that we received the order in
question.
I remain, etc.,
Selah Merrill,
United States Consul.
