File No. 10044/277–280.
Ambassador Leishman
to the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
Constantinople, June 1,
1909.
No. 997.]
Sir: Referring further to my dispatch No. 965
of the 12th ultimo, I beg to inclose herewith for the information of the
department copy of note received from the Sublime Porte regarding the
question of arms.
As the embassy had already covered the question of principle involved in
a previous note to the Porte, I deemed it wise not to enter into any
further argument, and this course has been generally followed by the
other embassies, although with the exception of the English and
ourselves the other embassies failed to reply to the first note.
Up to the present no trouble whatever has been experienced, nor do I
anticipate any, except, possibly, in the case of some belligerent
naturalized citizen of Ottoman origin, and I can only hope that even
this may be avoided.
The state of siege will probably be continued at the capital for some
time to come and has been extended to the Adana and a number of other
districts in the interior, and serves as a first-class guarantee
[Page 578]
for the maintenance of good
order, as the military forces drawn from the so-called army of
occupation (Second and Third Army Corps) are well disciplined, and have
conducted themselves in a manner that has caused universal
admiration.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure
1—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to the Dean of the
Diplomatic Corps.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Constantinople, April 25, 1909.
Mr. Doyen and Dear Ambassador: I have the
honor to inform your excellency that in view of prevailing
conditions a state of siege has been proclaimed, beginning with
to-day, at Constantinople, this including Ismid, Tchek-medje,
Tchataldja the islands, Ghebze, Cartal, and Beyooz.
I will very much appreciate your having the kindness to inform your
colleagues of this, and I beg you to accept, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
American Embassy,
Constantinople, April 27, 1909.
note verbale.
The American embassy has the honor, to acknowledge the receipt of the
Sublime Porte’s communication of the 25th instant announcing the
enforcement of a state of seige in Constantinople and the
surrounding districts, and trusts that in enforcing martial law, the
Ottoman Government will be careful to observe all the treaty rights
of American citizens.
[Inclosure
3—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Ambassador Leishman.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Constantinople, May
12, 1909.
The minister for foreign affairs presents his compliments to his
excellency the ambassador of the United States of America, and has
the honor to inform him that his excellency, Mahmoud Pasha,
commanding the army of operation, has, by special favor, decided not
to apply in all their vigor to foreigners established in the zone of
the state of siege the measures regarding the disarming of the
inhabitants of Constantinople and its outskirts.
Thus they are authorized to send back to their country of origin the
prohibited arms in their possession after having first notified the
police.
Moreover, they will be allowed to keep in their possession all
revolvers not longer than 15 centimeters and all hunting rifles. In
order to avail themselves of the above privilege, foreigners
desiring to keep in their possession the arms named above will be
obliged to produce a certificate of good conduct. In this case the
police authorities will deliver to them certificates giving a
description of these arms and their numbers.
Rifaat Pasha requests his excellency the ambassador of the United
States of America to issue the necessary orders to the proper
persons for the carrying out of the above prescriptions.
