[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Mr. Leishman to
Tewfik Pasha.
American Legation,
Constantinople, April 20, 1904.
Excellency: I have delayed acknowledging
receipt of the Sublime Porte’s communication of April 1, declining
to accede to the demand for equality of treatment for American
institutions in Turkey, having waited from day to day for the past
three weeks for the oft-promised note confirming same.
The facts in the case are as follows: In the beginning of September,
1902, the legation addressed a note to your excellency’s Government
asking that an imperial irade be issued granting to American
religious, educational, and charitable institutions throughout the
Ottoman Empire the same rights and privileges accorded to similar
institutions under the protection of other nations, and
subsequently, at the request of the Sublime Porte, a list was filed
giving the names of existing institutions for which Imperial firmans
were desired.
This demand was based upon the favored-nation clause in the treaty
between the Imperial Ottoman Government and the Government of the
United States of America, guaranteeing equality of treatment for
American citizens and American institutions, and referred
particularly to the concessions granted to French religious,
educational, and charitable institutions under what is generally
known as the Mytilene agreement, which has since been extended to
other European nations, but withheld from the United States.
After patiently waiting for nearly two years for the desired Imperial
order authorizing the issue of proper firmans, during which period I
was frequently given the most positive assurances that the matter
had successively been favorably acted upon by the council of state
and council of ministers and sent to the palace with a favorable
recommendation, I was finally notified by your excellency that an
Imperial irade had been issued, and that if I sent my dragoman to
the Porte the contents would be communicated to him.
In accordance with this request, my dragoman called at the Porte and
was informed by the general secretary of the Imperial ministry for
foreign affairs that although no formal note had yet been drawn up,
he would read to him the order received from the grand vizierat
regarding the schools, etc.
In order to avoid any misunderstanding, my dragoman made notes from
the dictation of the general secretary and submitted same to his
excellency for approval, his excellency merely remarking that the
memorandum contained a correct translation of the substance of a
note from the grand vizierat which he had been instructed to
communicate to the legation.
Instead of the promised decree granting to American institutions the
same rights and privileges granted to others, what was my surprise
to receive a communication refusing the legation’s demand on the
grounds that “* * * in regard to the schools and religious
institutions, no difficulty being raised on their behalf, there is
no reason for their confirmation,” etc.
As other religious, charitable, and educational institutions were in
exactly the same position as American institutions to-day prior to
the granting of the above-mentioned concessions, the action of the
Sublime Porte can only be regarded as a refusal to accord to
American institutions the same treatment [Page 821] extended to others, and may very properly be
viewed by my Government as an evasion of treaty obligations.
In the absence of instructions from my Government, to whom I have
referred the entire matter, I am unable at this time to make any
reply beyond the mere acknowledgment of the Sublime Porte’s
communication and a brief statement of the facts.
I take this occasion, etc.,
