Mavroyeni Bey to Mr. Gresham.
Imperial Legation of Turkey , December 25, 1894 . (Received December 26.)
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor to confirm my note of the 22d instant, and to transmit to your excellency the following copy of a telegram which I have received from his excellency Said Pasha:
Immediately after the declination of the United States Government to appoint an American officer as a member of the commission of investigation, we officially proposed to the British, French, and Russian Governments, which have consuls at Erzeroum, that each of them should send a delegate to accompany the commission of investigation. These three cabinets have already acceded to our proposition, and their delegates are now on their way to join the commission. If, therefore, in presence of the new phase which the case has assumed we should consent to the addition of an American officer to this commission, the other powers would not fail to avail themselves of such consent to formulate the same demand, and the result would be a situation fraught with peril to the country. We feel convinced that the United States Government, which has repeatedly given us unmistakable evidences of its highly valued friendship, will not desire to be the cause of so dangerous a situation, and we confidently hope that it will consent to renounce its project. I think that it is proper for me to remark, moreover, in this connection, that we have never asked for the appointment of a foreign commission to investigate the internal affairs of the Empire. Mr. Terrell has promised to telegraph the sense of all the foregoing to Washington.
Be pleased to accept, etc.,