File No. 6655.
As you are aware, there have been several previous protest made by
American exporters against the unreasonable restrictions imposed in
Turkey on this important export trade. In the present instance, the
machines being consigned to Persia and merely passing through Turkey,
there would seem to be no excuse for interference or seizure. You are
instructed to bring the matter to the urgent attention of the Porte,
requesting the immediate release of the machines, unless adequate cause
for their detention shall appear.
[Inclosure.]
The vice-president of the Remington Typewriter Company to the Secretary of State.
Remington Typewriter Company,
New York, May
20, 1907.
Dear Sir: We respectfully request the
assistance of the United States ambassador at Constantinople to
secure the release from detention of certain Remington typewriters,
the property of this company, which are forcibly detained by Turkish
customs officials at Trebizonde.
The facts are as follows:
We have perfected, after much expenditure of money and labor, a
typewriter for the Arabic character, which is largely employed
throughout the East for writing Arabic and cognate languages, such
as Turkish, Persian, Urdu (in India), Malayan, etc. In the course of
developing business in this new machine we entered into
correspondence with one Mirza Mesrof Khan Karam, of Tabriz, in
northwestern Persia. As a result of certain arrangements with him,
we shipped on the 29th of August, 1906, from the port of New York,
per Baldwin’s American European Express, on board steamship Baltic, bound for Liverpool, two cases, each
containing one Remington typewriter equipped with Arabic characters
suitable for writing the Persian language (which are practically
identical with those required for Turkish also).
These cases, each bearing name and address of consignee in Tabriz
above mentioned, were forwarded from Liverpool by the agents of the
said express (Stavely & Co., Dale street, Liverpool) by steamer
to the Black Sea and landed at Trebizonde, in Turkish dominions, in
the care of the agent or representative of Nadidjda & Co., a
Russian transportation concern, whose name is mentioned as
Minossian.
The nonreceipt of the goods in Persia led to an investigation
resulting in establishing the fact that the steamship company gave
delivery order for said goods to Minossian on December 2/15 last,
“but the custom-house had stopped the delivery of the cases for the
reason that the characters typographical of the machines were
‘Turque-Arabiques.’”
We had no knowledge that the importation of writing machines with
Turkish characters was prohibited in the Turkish Empire. In any
event, the goods were not destined for any point within that
jurisdiction, and we are very desirous of regaining possession of
our property in order that they may be sent forward to their
ultimate destination. It will be quite evident that no intention
existed upon our part to violate any Turkish law (if such exists)
forbidding the importation [Page 1075] of such machines. In fact, we were not aware of any necessity
existing for the passage of the goods through Turkish territory,
this being merely an incident of transportation.
Said machines are now and have at all times since shipped remained
the property of this company, having been sent as samples intended
to develop a new trade opening which exists in Persia.
We believe that the agent Minossian, in Trebizone, being a Russian
subject, has already brought the matter of this detention to the
notice of the Russian embassy in Constantinople, but we are not
advised as to the result.
We will feel greatly obliged if you will bring the facts before our
ambassador in Constantinople for such action toward securing an
order for the release of our property thus wrongfully detained as
may properly be taken.
Yours, etc.,