File No. 594/3–6.
Minister Gummeré to
the Secretary of State.
[Extract.]
American Legation,
Tangier, March 15,
1907.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of instruction No. 84 of February 26, 1907,a (File No. 594/2) inclosing a
letter from the
[Page 886]
president of
the Gospel Missionary Union as to the efforts of American missionaries
to secure a suitable house in Mequinez, and directing me to continue my
efforts to secure such a house for them.
As the department is aware, my efforts to secure such a suitable house at
Mequinez for the missionaries have been long continued and as strenuous
as possible. As I reported, in my No. 152 of December 12, 1906, this was
the first subject presented for settlement during my recent mission to
the court, and I secured the personal promise of His Majesty the Sultan,
as well as the assurances of the grand vizier, that all should be done
as desired; notwithstanding this I had endless trouble in securing even
what I reported had finally been done in the matter—that is, a letter
addressed to me by the grand vizier stating that His Majesty the Sultan
had issued a shereefian order to the basha of Mequinez directing him “to
be mindful of the said Americans and to take care of their affairs and
treat them with favor and not place obstacles in the way of their
renting a house in a part of the town not objectionable, but, on the
contrary, to assist them in the same.” The shereefian letter was
delivered to me and by me sent to the missionaries to be given by them
to the basha, and, as it seems, has so far had no effect. I have the
honor to inclose a copy of a letter addressed to me by Mr. Reed, one of
our missionaries, on this subject, as well as a copy of my reply to the
same, and at the same time a translation of the letter addressed by me
to the grand vizier, referred to in my reply to Mr. Reed; the department
will thus see that I had taken further steps in this matter before the
receipt of the instruction inclosing the letter from the president of
the Gospel Mission. I will report to the department the reply of the
grand vizier as soon as received. As I have before reported, I believe
that both the Sultan and the grand vizier have the best of will and
intentions in this matter.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. George C.
Reed to Minister Gummeré.
Mequinez, February 20,
1907.
Dear Sir: Replying to your kind favor of
the 18th ultimo, I beg to inform you that, according to your
instructions, I visited the governor of Mequinez and requested his
assistance in renting a house in the Moorish quarter, mentioning
certain houses that I had been informed were vacant. He at once
raised objections to some of them, but told me to proceed and rent
and that no one should interfere. I reminded him that the letter I
had presented him instructed him to assist me, and that I desired
not that he compel the owners to rent to me, but that he assure them
that I had permission to do so, and that he call upon some one thus
to rent to us. He replied that, as it was then evening, I should
return the next day, and he would in the meantime look again at the
letter. I called at the first opportunity, and the governor sent me
word by his chief man that he had not yet found the letter, but when
he had done so he would send for me.
If you have anything further to suggest, please let me know.
Yours, very sincerely,
P. S.—I might add that any further visits to the governor of
Mequinez, without something very much stronger than has yet been
presented, are entirely useless. I trust you may be able to take
some further steps to hold the Sultan and the vizier to keeping
their promise in good faith.
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[Inclosure 2.]
Minister Gummeré to Mr. George C.
Reed.
American Legation,
Tangier, March 12,
1907.
Dear Mr. Reed: I have received your letter
of February 20 last, informing me of your continued difficulties in
securing a proper house at Mequinez, notwithstanding the Sultan’s
orders to the basha of that place, as well as the vizier’s
assurances to myself. I am more annoyed than I can say as to this
and have written and dispatched a strong letter to the vizier
demanding an explanation, in the name of my Government, of this
breach of his solemn engagement with me and insisting on the
immediate fulfillment of the same. I will also communicate with the
Department of State on the subject. I will inform you at once as to
the result of my representations to the vizier, Ben Sliman.
With kind regards and best wishes for a favorable solution of the
matter of your house, believe me,
Yours, truly,
[Inclosure 3.]
Minister Gummeré to the Grand
Vizier.
American Legation,
Tangier, March 12,
1907.
No. 16.]
After compliments:
Your excellency will recall that among the matters which I presented
for settlement during my recent visit to His Shereefian Majesty’s
court the first on the list was that of securing a suitable dwelling
place, in the Moorish quarter, by the American citizens living in
that city. As I then informed His Majesty, as well as your
excellency, this was a matter which my Government considered of the
first importance, and I therefore insisted that it should have a
favorable solution, and that the basha of Mequinez be directed not
only to cease from his unfavorable treatment of my citizens, but
that he should assist them in securing such a house as they desired.
As the result of our discussions on this subject, your excellency
wrote me a letter, on the 6th of Shoual, 1324 (November 23, 1906),
in which you informed me that a shereefian order had been issued by
His Majesty the Sultan to Hadj Ben Aisa, governor of Mequinez, “to
be mindful of the said Americans, to take care of their affairs, and
to treat them with favor and kindness, and not place obstacles in
the way of their renting a residence in a part of the town not
objectionable, but to assist them in the same.” This letter of your
excellency was reported to my Government, which expressed great
pleasure at this solution of what was considered a most important
matter, and at the same time the American citizens were themselves
informed of your excellency’s letter, and that, in consequence of
the same, they would surely have no difficulty in securing a
suitable house.
Your excellency may judge of my surprise at hearing from my said
citizens at Mequinez that, notwithstanding His Majesty’s letter and
your excellency’s solemn assurances to myself, they have found it
quite impossible to secure a house as desired. Upon presenting
themselves to the basha and showing him a list of houses which they
were informed were vacant, he at once raised objections to some of
them, and on their calling on him to assist them in securing a
proper house, as your excellency had assured me His Majesty’s letter
had directed him to do, he replied that he would look at the letter,
and they could return the next day; and, on their presenting
themselves at the time appointed, he refused to see them and sent
word that he could not find the letter, thus making a mock of His
Majesty’s orders as well as of my citizens.
I have, moreover, to-day received an instruction from my Government
informing me that they have learned that the pledges given by your
excellency regarding a house for our citizens has not in any way
been observed, and directing me to request an explanation from your
excellency of this breach of a solemn engagement.
I have therefore to call your excellency’s attention to the serious
consequences which may result from further delay in carrying out
your said engagement,
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and
to request that you will, without delay, see that His Majesty’s
orders to the basha of Mequinez to assist my citizens in securing a
proper house in that city be carried out at once.
In peace.
