File No. 6655.
The Acting Secretary of
State to Ambassador Leishman.
Department of State,
Washington, April 28,
1906.
No. 1077.]
Sir: The department incloses herewith copy of a
letter from the president of the Smith Premier Typewriter Company, of
New York City, under elate of the 24th instant, protesting against the
customs requirements of the Turkish Government as respects the
importation of typewriters. It is alleged that a certificate is required
to the effect that the machine is for the personal use of the buyer,
thereby making it so difficult to do business in that country as to
practically amount to a prohibition.
You are instructed to bring this matter of burdensome restrictions on an
important branch of our export trade to the attention of the Turkish
Government, with a view of securing the desired relief.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
The president of the Smith
Premier Typewriter Company to the Secretary of State.
The
Smith Premier Typewriter Company,
New York, April 24, 1906.
Sir: Our European manager also calls our
attention to the fact that the Turkish Government is placing all
sorts of difficulties in the way of the importation of typewriters,
so much so that our local representative there writes to our
European manager that he can not clear a machine through the
custom-house unless the buyer certifies that it is for his personal
use, and that this stops him from bringing in any machines that are
not sold beforehand, and therefore prevents his keeping any stock,
etc.
Our local dealer in Constantinople goes on to say in his letter to
our European manager that the Sultan has on several occasions
prohibited entirely the importation of typewriters into Turkey, but
that the action of the English and American ambassadors has resulted
in having the “Irade” withdrawn, but he says that this last move of
requiring a certificate that the machine is for the personal use of
the buyer, makes it so difficult to do business in that country as
to amount to practically the same thing as the prohibition.
I bespeak for these two matters your most favorable consideration,
and will sincerely appreciate exact information concerning the
conditions, and beg to remain, etc.,
