firman, and the missionaries complained that restrictions upon printed matter became more and more severe. For. Rel. 1894, 702, 706, 707. For an acknowledgment by Turkey that the rights acquired by foreigners January 16, 1895, the American legation at Constantinople reported that an iradé, forever exempting the American college for girls at Scutari from payment of taxes, had been issued in recognition of "good work done in educating His Majesty's Christian subjects." For. Rel. 1895, II. 1232. This incident is mentioned in President Cleveland's annual message of Dec. 2, 1895, For, Rel. 1895, I. xxxv. It seems that the delivery of the iradé in this case, there being no new buildings to be constructed, was equivalent to a firman. (For. Rel. 1895, II. 1235.) In 1896, Mr. Terrell, American minister at Constantinople, sent out a circular to persons in charge of American schools in Turkey, in which he made certain inquiries concerning such schools and their treatment during the Armenian troubles. The general substance of the responses, as stated by Mr. Terrell, was that no schools taught by American citizens had for several years been closed, and that Mohammedans were rarely if ever found in such schools. The difficulty had, he said, arisen with regard to the establishment of schools with native Armenians as teachers, and such schools had very generally been closed before 1893. For. Rel. 1897, 570-582. In one of his dispatches Mr. Terrell, referring to a letter which he had received from the Rev. L. O. Lee, of Marash, said: "If the continuance of American missionaries in Turkey depends upon their being protected in the right to establish and control schools when and where they please, which are not to be taught by American citizens, and which yet shall be free from the authority of the Turkish gov ernment to permit or close them at will, then the stay of missionaries See Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Dodds, Jan. 30, 1895, 200 MS. In 1896, special telegraphic orders were repeated by the Porte to the For a protest against the efforts of local officials to destroy the patronage of American schools, and an intimation that, whether such schools were broken up by destroying their building or by intimidating their patrons, in either case values were destroyed where investments had been made under the protection of treaties, see Mr. Terrell, min. to Turkey, to Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, No. 52, Sept. 4, 1893, For. Rel. 1893, 678. The conviction of a native teacher in an American school in Turkey on the charge of having in his possession a copy of Shelley's poems containing the "Revolt of Islam" was considered a "frivolous and vexatious interference," justifying an appeal for justice for the teacher and for his release from the penalty imposed upon him. It seemed that the teacher's father had suffered a year's imprisonment for possessing a hymn book containing the Sunday-school hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers." It was thought that this might be used in supporting an appeal for justice toward the son, but that no direct intervention in behalf of the father was practicable, since he was neither an American citizen nor apparently employed in an American school. Mr. Adee, Act. Sec. of State, to Mr. Terrell, min. to Turkey, Sept. 6, 1895, February 2, 1903, Mr. Hay, as Secretary of State, in a telegram to Mr. Leishman, American minister at Constantinople, stated that the attention of the President had lately been called by a numerous delegation of prominent citizens to the embarrassments of American educational and religious institutions in the Turkish Empire. Mr. Leishman was instructed to ask an audience of the Sultan, and in the President's name to bring these embarrassments to his Majesty's attention. What the President desired and expected, said Mr. Hay, was, first, that the Sultan would grant to American citizens and institutions the same guarantees and privileges given to France in November, 1901, which had since been conceded to Russia, Germany, and Italy; and, secondly, that the same treatment would be extended to the Protestant Medical College at Beirut, respecting examinations and the right of graduates to exercise their profession, as was extended to the French Medical School at Beirut. The President, said Mr. Hay, was deeply in earnest in the matter, and, while Mr. Leishman was to approach the Sultan in the utmost spirit of friendship and good will, he was to impress upon him the fixed desire and expectation of the President that the United States and its citizens would be treated on the same terms as the most-favored nation, and especially that the two objects noted would be promptly secured. After a long negotiation, characterized by many and varied incidents, the Turkish minister of foreign affairs, in a note to Mr. Leishman, of August 12, 1904, declared that it had never been the intention of the imperial government "to treat on a different basis the schools, the institutions, and the citizens of the United States in the empire;" and that, with regard to establishments whose legal existence was not recognized, the competent department would, as soon as it was asked to do so, accomplish the necessary formalities in conformity with the conditions and provisions of the regulations in force. Mr. Leishman, on the same day, inquired whether this declaration was to be understood as meaning that the terms and conditions granted to France in November, 1901, applied in their entirety to American institutions. If so, said Mr. Leishman, all the American institutions mentioned in a list which he had transmitted to the Ottoman government in February, 1903, would come in the category of institutions of which the legal existence was recognized and would enjoy the same rights, privileges, and immunities as those embraced in the French settlement. On the 15th of August the minister of foreign affairs repeated to Mr. Leishman the contents of the note of the 12th of the same month, and stated that the imperial government had no intention of deviating from the decision therein embraced. A direct answer to Mr. Leishman's inquiry with regard to the institutions embraced in his list of February, 1903, was thus withheld; but, in view of the fact that no exception had been taken to any of the institutions therein mentioned, he decided to assume the position that all those institutions must be considered as having been officially recognized; and this decision was approved by the Department of State. For. Rel. 1903, 735–761; For. Rel. 1904, 818-833. As to disorders at Beirut and the reported attempt to assassinate the 7. SALE OF Books. § 872. In March, 1884, a joint commission in Turkey prepared regulations with regard to the sale of books printed in the American Bible House, and the United States assented to them. "This, then, constitutes an international understanding and one not to be set aside by either party unless for good and sufficient reasons." Mr. Frelinghuysen, Sec. of State, to Mr. Heap, chargé at Constantinople, As to the work of the American Bible Society in Turkey, and its invest- It seems that the understanding relative to regulations for colporteurs engaged in selling the publications of the American Bible Society, which was arrived at in March, 1884, was ignored by the local authorities. Subsequently, at the instance of the American legation and British embassy, another commission was established by the Porte for the purpose of formulating regulations to govern the sale of books in general, and of thus putting an end to particular grievances. This commission made a draft of regulations, but amendments were submitted by the representatives of the American Bible Society, and it was understood that meanwhile the authorities would cease to interfere with colporteurs who were peaceably and quietly pursuing their vocation. A practical difficulty in dealing with the matter grew out of the fact that the colporteurs were all Turkish subjects over whom the Ottoman authorities claimed exclusive jurisdiction. This being an internal matter, the American legation had made suggestions as to the form of the regulations only unofficially, reserving to itself, however, the right to object to them in case they should, when promulgated, interfere with any rights claimed for citizens of the United States by usage, capitulation, or duty. Mr. Straus, min. to Turkey, to Mr. Bayard, Sec. of State, No. 14, July 18, 1887, For. Rel. 1887, 1118. See, also, Mr. King, chargé, to Mr. Bayard, No. 277, Jan. 15, 1887, For. Rel. 1887, 1089; Mr. Bayard to Mr. Straus, No. 25, June 18, 1887, id. 1115. The officials of the American Bible Society at New York, in a letter to the President of the United States, April 7, 1887, complained that its agents in Turkey, while engaged in the sale of Bibles and Testaments whose publication had been approved by the ministry of public instruction, and of copies of the Holy Scriptures which had passed through the custom-house after examination and payment of duties, were constantly interrupted in their work and "subjected to imprisonment and other indignities." (For. Rel. 1887, 1116.) For the Porte's "project of the law of colporteurs" and amendments suggested by the American legation on consultation with the agents of the American Bible Society, see Mr. Straus to Mr. Bayard, No. 24, Sept. 6, 1887, For. Rel. 1887, 1126-1131. "You appear to have acted in this matter very discreetly. There is no objection to your associating the British ambassador with you in your efforts to secure satisfactory amendments to a law which in its operations affects the interests of British societies as much as our own." (Mr. Bayard to Mr. Straus, No. 46, Sept. 22, 1887, For. Rel. 1887, 1131.) Early in 1887 the minister of police at Constantinople expressed a desire to send an official from the board of public instruction, accompanied by a police agent, to search the bookstore opening on the street and forming a part of the American Bible House. The legation sent its dragoman to be present at the search, with instructions not to allow the official of the board of public instruction to search the whole Bible House accompanied by a policeman. The official declined to make the search on these terms, though he expressed a desire to go through the entire building. The Porte subsequently alleged that the agents of the Society had begun to spread tracts which were "injurious and calumnious to the Musselman religion," and that, as to the colporteurs themselves who were Ottoman subjects, the imperial authorities would take such measures as should be considered useful and necessary." The Porte also maintained that the Bible House was to be treated not as a private abode, but as a public place, where the imperial authorities hight have free access, and assert, if need be, a direct supervision. The legation replied that the missionaries offered for sale no book or pamphlet which had not been sanctioned by the ministry of public instructions or been censored at the customhouse, nor anything against the Mussulman religion or public order. The legation suggested that the impression of the Porte in that regard might have been derived from the fact that some years previously there had been offered for sale some copies of a Greek book which, although it passed the censorship and paid duties, later proved to be objectionable. This book, when found to be objectionable, was immediately withdrawn. The legation added that the Bible House was free to be visited at any time by officials in an unofficial manner and without police, but that the claim to search it officially without the assistance of the legation could not be granted. (Mr. King, chargé, to Mr. Bayard, Sec. of State, No. 307, April 12, 1887, enclosing correspondence with the Porte, For. Rel. 1887, 1091.) In his No. 151 of December 22, 1888, Mr. Straus reported that he had obtained permission from the grand vizier for the American Bible House to print in Turkish 35,000 Bible tracts, consisting of the Psalms, Proverbs, the four Gospels, and the Acts. (For. Rel. 1889, 706, 709.) See, further, as to the regulation and sale of books, the exercise of censorship, and interference with colporteurs, For. Rel. 1890, 722, 739, 752, 760, 763, 765, 770; For. Rel. 1891, 758; For. Rel. 1892, 564, 581, 590, 592, 594, 595, 599, 600; For. Rel. 1893, 599, 601, 627, 632. |