Mr. Hirsch to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, March 28, 1892.
(Received April 11.)
No. 414.]
Sir: The arrest of Mr. Crawford at Erdek, in
October last, and the correspondence with the Sublime Porte on the subject,
was reported to the Department of State by Mr. MacNutt in his No. 355 of
October 6 and No. 357 of November 9, 1891.
On February 23 I received a reply from the minister of foreign affairs (copy
in translation, inclosure No. 1) claiming that Mr. Crawford was not
imprisoned, but that he remained of his own volition at Erdek, awaiting the
termination of the necessary correspondence in the matter. In refutation I
inclose (inclosure No. 2) a condensed copy of Mr. Crawford’s journal,
written on the third day of his imprisonment for the use of his friends
here, and lately sent to me, the correctness of which I do not doubt.
Reading it one must conclude that the inquiry on the part of the authorities
could not possibly have been sincere, but was turned into an attempt to
shield someone. I deem it a more serious offense against the United States
Government than the original arrest of Mr. Crawford.
In a note addressed to-day to the minister of foreign affairs (copy inclosure
No. 3) I have renewed the demand for reparation and informed his excellency
that the matter had been referred to the Secretary of State for orders.
I have, etc.,
[Page 549]
[Inclosure 1 in No.
414.—Translation.]
Säid Pacha to Mr.
Hirsch.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Constantinople, February 23,
1892.
Mr. Minister: I have had the honor to receive
the two notes of the legation, dated October 21 and November 7 last,
Nos. 79 and 82, relating to the claim of Mr. Crawford, an American
citizen. From the investigation of this subject, made on orders
transmitted by the ministry of the interior, it appears that it is not
accurate that Mr. Crawford has been imprisoned.
The legation is aware that the Imperial authorities examine, the books
which travelers carry with them in order to ascertain whether they are
covered with the imprimature of the department of public instruction or
if they are of objectionable character.
It is during this examination and the correspondence which it involved
between the kaimakam and the superior authorities of the province that
Mr. Crawford, on his own volition, stayed at Erdek. Now, he would be
wrong to consider this stay a detention. In bringing these explanations
to the knowledge of your excellency I venture to hope that you will
kindly declare yourself satisfied.
Please accept, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 414.]
Mr. Crawford’s account of his arrest at Erdek.
(Condensed.)
Erdek, Thursday,
October 8.
Arrived at this place at noon, from a journey through the Cyzicus
peninsula. K. Petros, my bookseller, and I have been giving
magic-lantern exhibitions in nearly every village where we have passed
the night. Commonly the exhibition has been given in schoolhouses,
sometimes in private houses or in cafés. The people have seemed
delighted. The pictures used have been approved by the inspector of
public instruction at Broussa, who has himself used them also to give an
exhibition to the Government schools of that city.
This evening while at supper a police officer came to ask for our
teskeres. He made some objections to the fact that they were for Adremid
and did not mention that we should pass through Erdek on the way. We
replied that the police officials in Broussa had been told of our route
and had said it was unnecessary to mention the places intermediate
between Broussa and our destination at Adremid. The police officer then
asked to see our books. We took him to the khan and showed him the
Government seal on the books and tracts; we also showed him the magic
lantern and slides. He called a porter and took away our books, lantern,
etc., telling us to follow him to police headquarters. After waiting
there about an hour we and our things were taken to the kaimakam. He
asked but few questions and gave us opportunity to say but little. He
had the names of the books all written down, even to the names of
newspapers used for wrapping papers. He also required a statement of the
number of books sold by K. Petros, whose teskere stated his business as
colporteur. He remarked that we ought to have a special cuyurultu from
the governor-general, to which I replied that the governor-general
considered the teskere sufficient. The kaimakam then told us that we
must leave our box with him and could not go on as we intended in the
morning, but that he hoped to be able to release us by noon.
Friday, October 9.—Called on the kaimakam, who
said a reply had not yet come to his telegram about us. He told us to
come again in two hours. We went again two hours later and were informed
that the kaimakam was out. The police told us that the kaimakam was
proposing to ask us to stay over night and give an exhibition of the
magic lantern for him and his friends, but advised us to return to our
khan and wait for a communication. At 3 o’clock the chief of police
called and asked us to go with him to the Government house. Supposing
that the request had to do with the proposed exhibition of the magic
lantern, we asked no questions and went with him. After we had been
shown into a room and had been courteously invited to be seated, imagine
our astonishment when the chief of police informed us that we were to be
guests there until word could be obtained from Broussa as to the
disposition to be made of us. No force was used, but would have been had
we resisted, as we saw on attempting to leave the room and walk in the
court.
Saturday, October 10.—I told the chief of police
that I wished to send a telegram to my friends. He replied that it could
not be permitted until the arrival of the kaimakam. At 11 o’clock the
kaimakam arrived at his office and I was assured by
[Page 550]
the police officer that our release would,
soon take place, and I should give myself no anxiety. So we waited
patiently, not permitted to go out and continually assured that the
kaimakam would receive his orders soon, etc. But no further information
was given us, and it is night.
Sunday, 11th.—I asked permission to attend church,
under escort of a guard, if necessary, hut was told that I could not be
allowed to go out. The kaimakam came to his office, but I did not ask to
see him, nor did he ask for us.
Monday, October 12.—When I heard the kaimakam
arrive and go up stairs to his office this forenoon, I demanded an
immediate interview. He replied by causing to be read to me a telegram
which was dated on Friday at Balikesir, and which ordered him to detain
us until further orders from Broussa, to which place the case had been
referred. He said that we must wait patiently; an answer would be sure
to come from Broussa to-morrow. I refused to wait patiently any longer
and demanded that a telegram should be sent at once to ask why we were
detained. The kaimakam promised to send the telegram and we left
him.
Tuesday, October 13.—We were released at noon
to-day, having been under detention since 6 p.m. Thursday and in
confinement since 3.30 p.m. on Friday, October 9. I have good grounds
for believing that the kaimakam did not send the telegram yesterday, as
he promised, and that the immediate cause of our release was a telegram
from a native friend in Bauderma to Mr. Baldwin at Broussa. This friend
heard of our case from a teamster to whom I had been able to speak on
Sunday.
We are off in the morning for Balikisir and Adremid.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 414.]
Mr. Hirsch to
Säid Pacha.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, March 28,
1892.
Mr. Minister: I have received the note of
February 23, which your excellency did me the honor to address to me in
answer to the two notes of this legation of October 21 and November 7,
in the matter of the arrest at Erdek of the American citizen Crawford,
and beg to express my regret that the information furnished to the
minister of the interior, upon which he founded his report to your
excellency, is entirely incorrect.
It is not a fact that Mr. Crawford remained at Erdek of his own volition,
awaiting the termination of the correspondence between the caikman and
the superior authorities of the province; but, on the contrary, he was
requested by the chief of police to accompany him to the Government
house on Friday afternoon, October 9, where, upon arriving, he was told
that he must remain until orders could be received from Broussa.
On the following day, Saturday, he asked permission to send a telegram to
his friends at Broussa, but was refused.
On the day after that, Sunday, his request for permission to attend
church, under escort of a guard, was likewise refused, and thus he was
detained at the Government house until Thursday, October 13, when he was
released, after having been deprived of his liberty for four days.
This being the case, your excellency will agree with me that the
information received by the minister of the interior and by him
transmitted to your excellency was not correct, and that the inquiry by
the provincial authorities seems to have been carried on with a view
simply to shielding the offending officials and to defeat rather than to
serve the ends of justice.
In view of the facts in the case, which I beg again to bring to your
excellency’s knowledge, I am under the necessity of renewing the demand
of this legation for suitable reparation and of communicating all the
papers in the case to my Government, whose orders I shall await.
Please receive, etc.,
