Chargé Jay to the
Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Constantinople, November 29,
1904.
No. 950.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the
American Bible Society has during the past six months encountered very
serious difficulties in the prosecution of their work in Turkey.
At Adrianople, Trebizond, Ordou, and Angora their Bibles were seized by
the local authorities, the colporteurs and native agents of the society
being threatened with arrest and imprisonment should they further
attempt to sell these books.
In every case attempts made to settle the matter locally by nearest
consuls and others failed, as the authorities claimed to have been
acting under orders from Constantinople.
Mr. Leishman, during the summer and up till the moment of his departure
in October, did not fail to complain to the Porte, both in writing and
verbally.
As usual he was met with promises, but nothing was done to release the
books and otherwise settle the matter.
Early in the present month I finally succeeded, after having been given
repeated promises, in inducing the grand vizier to settle the Adrianople
matter by telegraph.
Learning that the British embassy had a similar case on hand in
connection with their Bible society, I persuaded the British chargé
d’affaires to address a strong note on the general subject to the
Imperial Government similar in character to mine.
I believe these two notes, presented within a couple of days of each
other, have had their effect, for on Saturday last proper orders were
actually telegraphed to the governors-general of Trebizond and
Angora.
* * * * * * *
[Page 899]
This matter has given the legation very considerable trouble, but it has
spared no pains to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion.
I have, etc.
[Inclosure.]
Chargé Jay to
the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
American Legation,
Constantinople, November 15, 1904.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
confirm this legation’s note verbale No. 456, of the 27th of
September, 1904, in regard to the work in Turkey of the American
Bible Society.
I now deeply regret to state that, notwithstanding the conversations
in regard to the general question, as well as the particular cases
in Angora, Trebizond, and Ordou, which his excellency the American
minister has had, and, in his absence, I have had with his highness
the grand vizier, and with your excellency, and the applications
which this legation made through one of its dragomans to his
excellency the minister of public instructions, and notwithstanding
the many promises which were made to this legation, the difficulties
have not, with the exception of a case in Adrianople, been yet
removed. The agent of the said society reports that in Angora,
Ordou, and Trebizond their books remain seized by the local
authorities and their colporteurs forbidden under threat of
imprisonment to sell the Holy Bible or parts thereof, which are
books held sacred by Christians and others, and in this country
printed and published by the permit of the department of public
instruction.
Your excellency will allow me to submit that the matter is far more
serious than it might be imagined at first sight. I beg to point
out:
- 1.
- That the American Bible Society is one of the first and
most important benevolent societies existing in America,
backed by some of the greatest statesmen belonging to
different denominations and political parties.
- 2.
- That it is one of the societies included in the special
list which this legation sent in to the Sublime Porte for
official recognition.
- 3.
- Its work is interdenominational and has nothing to do with
religious or other propaganda.
- 4.
- That no other similar society belonging to or protected by
any other nation has been interfered with in its work and
there appears to exist in this matter a discrimination
applied against an American society.
- 5.
- That the local authorities, possibly misunderstanding
certain instructions sent to them have, by forbidding the
sale of the Bible, and more especially by seizing it, not
only insulted the book held sacred by millions of people, as
if it were an obnoxious and seditious publication, but have
seized property belonging to and paid for by American
citizens.
Under these circumstances I beg to inform your excellency that this
legation can not be an indifferent spectator of the inexplicable
action of the authorities in Angora and Trebizond and requests His
Imperial Majesty’s Government to issue orders at once to the said
vilayets, directing them to put an end to their vexatious and
discriminating attitude toward an American benevolent society and to
return without further delay the seized books.
I earnestly beg that your excellency will give this matter the prompt
consideration it deserves, thus sparing me the necessity of
referring the entire matter to my government.
I take, etc.,
