Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay.
Constantinople, February 13, 1903.
Sir: I beg to confirm my cablegram sent you this day in regard to the settlement of pending questions.
The general school question is the one that is apt to prove the most difficult to settle, especially if the absolute acknowledgment of the principle of equal treatment be insisted upon, as I know from actual data that the English Government at least did not press this point too hard or insist upon an official and positive acknowledgment, merely having accepted the decree agreeing to grant the necessary firman for schools, hospitals, etc., already established, and even a few of these were held under advisement.
Nor has the legation any particular reason to complain of an unreasonable delay in settlement of this question, which is important to the Turks as well as to the missionaries. The English embassy waited nearly eight months for a reply to their note, which was accompanied by a detailed list of their educational and charitable institutions, a very small list compared to ours; they having filed their note on June 2, 1902, and only received reply on January 24, 1903, after a lapse of [Page 741] nearly eight months, while the legation’s note was only addressed to the Porte under date of September 2, 1902—a little over five months ago—not an unreasonable length of time for Turkey to settle an important question, as they frequently take much longer time to settle very trifling affairs, and this, coupled with other facts already mentioned, and the apparent disposition on the part of the Ottoman Government to adjust matters, has made me rather loath to recommend overriding the Sublime Porte, by insisting upon His Imperial Majesty settling the matter direct, an action which might irritate the Sublime Porte and possibly cause complications, as I am of the belief that this action should only be taken when all peaceable means have been exhausted through ordinary channels, and the point reached when patience has ceased to be a virtue.
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The situation in Macedonia is critical, but not alarming for the immediate present, despite the inflammatory reports that are daily circulated. It is true that the corps d’armée in Macedonia is being brought up to a more efficient standard, but there is no truth in the reports that the entire force is being mobilized and put upon a war footing. Actual fighting may take place, as soon as the good weather sets in, between the troops and the armed bands of Macedonian revolutionists and their fellow Bulgarian sympathizers, which may even lead to conflict between Bulgaria and Turkey; but it is to be hoped that these fears may not be realized, and in any event it would be premature to venture a positive opinion on this subject.
I have, etc.,