Chargé Jay to the
Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Constantinople, April 19,
1906.
No. 1360.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose copy and
translation of a note received from the Sublime Porte, in which it is
stated that the permission requested by the legation in August, 1905,
for the erection of two new buildings at the Salonica Industrial School
can not be granted.
I beg to inclose also my reply in which I confirm the legation’s note No.
669, of March 3, 1906, by which Mr. Leishman took the position that as
no objections had been raised by the Sublime Porte during the six months
following the legation’s application, it was considered that this
permission had been granted and the missionaries had been so
informed.
The department is aware that by the terms of the French Mytilene
settlement it was agreed that the embassy should apply for permission
for all new French schools, and that if no written objections [Page 1388] were received during the six
months following the application, that permission should be considered
to have been granted.
The French embassy has, I am informed, only made use of this agreement in
one case so far, namely, in the case of a school for which the six
months’ objection period has lately elapsed. The Dragoman of the French
embassy charged with this school question has, however, privately stated
that it was feared that the Turkish Government might try to block the
construction of such new schools in an indirect way, such as threatening
the native workmen employed in their construction.
This is precisely what appears to have happened in the case of our school
at Cesarea. An application for permission for the construction of new
buildings at this school was made by the legation on March 8, 1905,
which permission the legation informed the Sublime Porte on February 5,
1906, was considered to have been granted, considerably over six months
having elapsed since the filing of the application without any objection
having been raised.
I to-day received a telegram from Doctor Wingate, head of the school at
Cesarea, reading as follows:
American
Minister,
Constantinople.
In accordance with your letter No. 922 of February 12, 1906, we
began the building, but the workmen have been intimidated and
the local authorities undertake to forbid our work. Please take
the necessary steps.
Wingate.
I inclose a copy of Mr. Leishman’s letter referred to above and of my
note to the Sublime Porte on this subject.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.—Note
verbale.—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Chargé Jay.
Sublime Porte,
Constantinople, April 16, 1906.
No. 64830/13.]
By its note of the 28th of last August the United States legation was
good enough to request that two fields situated in the village of
Kapoudjilar at Kelmerie, Salonica, and bought by the benevolent
society, the American Bureau, be registered in the name Of this
society and that the necessary authorization be granted for the
construction on these fields of two buildings to serve as industrial
and agricultural schools.
The Sublime Porte did not fail to request of the governor-general of
the Vilayet of Salonica information on this subject.
In reply His Excellency Reouf Pasha stated that on the
above-mentioned ground there existed already the school which,
having been opened without permission, has been the cause of the
imperial ministry’s notes of December 17, 1904, No. 59372/36, and of
May 13, 1905, No. 61113/15.
As the village of Kapoudjilar is inhabited exclusively by Greeks the
carrying on of this school, in which the teaching is carried on in
Bulgarian, would give rise, in view of the dissensions existing
between their two communities, to serious inconveniences.
For these reasons the imperial ministry begs the United States
legation to kindly transmit to the above-mentioned society the
necessary orders to give up their intention of building the schools
in question and that it proceed to close the one actually in
existence.
[Page 1389]
[Inclosure 2.]
Chargé Jay to
the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
American Legation,
Constantinople, April 18, 1906.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of the imperial ministry for foreign affairs
note of April 16, 1906, No. 64830/13, in which the legation’s note,
No. 585, of August 28, 1905, which requested that permission be
granted for the construction of two new buildings for the American
Industrial School near Salonica is acknowledged, and which now
notifies the legation that this request can not be granted.
In reply I would respectfully draw your excellency’s attention to the
legation’s note 669, of March 3, 1906, in which the legation had the
honor to inform the imperial ministry for foreign affairs that, in
view of no objections having been raised by the Sublime Porte during
the period of six months provided for after the application, the
desired permission was considered to have been granted.
I now beg to confirm the above-mentioned note of the 3d of March,
1906, and to respectfully inform your excellency that I can not
discuss any objection raised at this late day.
I trust that it will not be necessary for me to report to my
Government that the Imperial Ottoman Government, notwithstanding its
repeated assurances and guarantees that American institutions in
Turkey would not be treated on a less favorable basis than similar
institutions belonging to other nations, has now decided to deny
them this right which is enjoyed by others.
I take, etc.,
[Subinclosure—Note
verbale.]
The American Legation
to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
American Legation,
Constantinople, March 3, 1906.
The American legation in its notes of August 28, 1905, requested the
Sublime Porte to take the necessary steps to obtain the high firman
necessary for the construction of two new buildings for the American
Industrial School on the locality known as Kapoudjilar, at
Kelmeriyé, Salonica.
By the fact that six months have passed since that date and that no
objections have been raised by the Sublime Porte, it is considered
that, in conformity with the mode of action agreed upon with the
French embassy, the permission for the erection of the said
buildings is granted.
And whereas the Sublime Porte has repeatedly declared and guaranteed
that no different mode of action or treatment will be adopted than
that adopted toward similar institutions belonging to other friendly
powers, naturally and clearly all rights, immunities, and privileges
granted to institutions belonging to other governments are equally
extended and applied to American institutions. Therefore, no
objection having been raised within the said period of six months,
as stated above, considering that permission to build has been
granted, this legation has so informed the American missionaries
residing in Salonica; and it now requests the Sublime Porte to
kindly give the necessary orders to whom it may concern that the
local officials should not interfere with or prevent the said
construction according to the plans that have been submitted
(inclosed in the above-mentioned note of the 3d of March, 1906).
[Inclosure 3.]
Chargé Jay to
the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
American Legation,
Constantinople, April 19, 1906.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
confirm the notes of this legation numbered 512 and 649 of March 8,
1905, and February 5, 1906, respectively.
In its note of March 8, 1905, the legation requested the correction
of registers of certain American mission property at Cesarea and
that permission be granted [Page 1390] for the construction of a building for the boys school and of a
house for the residence of the director of the school.
In its note of February 5, 1906, the legation had the honor to inform
the Sublime Porte that more than six months having elapsed since the
original application, and the Sublime Porte having raised no
objection to the construction of these buildings, it was considered
that in conformity with this right enjoyed by institutions belonging
to other nations and with the principle of equality of treatment
repeatedly recognized by the Sublime Porte in favor of American
institutions, permission was granted to carry on the construction of
the desired buildings. This legation further requested that the
necessary instructions be given in order that any interference on
the part of the local authorities might be avoided.
I now regret to be obliged to inform your excellency that I have
received a telegram from the director of the school at Cesarea
stating that the local authorities are stopping the work of
construction and intimidating the workmen.
If necessary instructions have not already been sent to the
authorities in Cesarea, I have now to request your excellency to
cause telegraphic orders to be sent directing the authorities to
refrain from any further interference.
The missionaries in Cesarea having already purchased their building
material and made other preparations, any delay in this matter will
entail pecuniary as well as other losses to the American
mission.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 4.]
Minister Leishman to Doctor Wingate.
American Legation,
Constantinople, February 12, 1906.
No. 922 Misc.]
Sir: In reply to your letter of January 26,
1906, I beg to advise that the legation’s note to the Porte
regarding the proposed new building for the mission at Talas, which
was withheld for a number of weeks on account of the possible bad
effect it might have on other pending matters pertaining to the
mission, has finally been sent in.
As you will observe from the inclosed copy of note addressed to the
Porte, the legation assumes that as the Porte has failed to offer
any proper objection within the six months period, the right to
proceed with the construction of the proposed building has been
tacitly admitted, and will insist upon this point being
respected.
As this is the first case where the legation has been called upon to
claim for American institutions the rights acquired by the French
respecting the erection of new buildings, I am not in position to
guarantee that more or less trouble will not be experienced when
attempting to enforce these acquired rights, but in case the local
officials should make any attempt to restrain you from proceeding
with the construction of the new building kindly inform the legation
at once.
Trusting that my fears may prove groundless and that you will
experience no further difficulties in the prosecution of your
work,
I am, etc.,
