Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress December 2, 1895, Part II
Mr. Olney to Mr. Terrell.
Washington, November 27, 1895.
Sir: I inclose for your information copy of a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting reports on the situation in Asia Minor made by the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Marblehead.
I am, etc.,
Mr. Herbert to Mr. Olney.
Washington, November 25, 1895.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for your information a copy of a letter from Rear-Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge, commanding United States naval force on European station, dated the 13th instant, forwarding copies of reports on the situation in Asia Minor made by the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Marblehead.
I have, etc.,
Rear-Admiral Selfridge to Mr. Herbert.
Marseilles France, November 13, 1895.
Sir: I have the honor to forward to the Department the following copies of reports on the situation in Asia Minor, received from Commander Charles O’Neil, U. S. N., commanding the Marblehead: Report dated October 24, 1895, with two inclosures; report dated October 30, 1895.
Very respectfully,
Rear-Admiral, U. S. N.
Commander O’Neil to Rear-Admiral Selfridge.
Mersine Asia Minor, October 24, 1895.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that in obedience to your telegram of the 12th instant from Lisbon, received by me at Naples on the 13th instant, I left that port on the 15th and arrived here on the 20th instant.
I found everything quiet here and learned that the United States consul from Beirut had also arrived here the same morning as ourselves, to meet us, and from him I learned that the matter of the attack last summer at Namroun on the students and servants of the household of Rev. Dr. Christie, an American missionary and the president of St. Paul’s Institute, at Tarsus, an American college, had not been wholly settled; that is; while some arrests had been made and some of the offenders had been in prison ever since, some others had been released without any punishment. I therefore concluded that it would be well, if possible, to have the matter finally disposed of, for the sake of example and for the better security of the missionaries in the future.
The day after our arrival, which occurred on Sunday, I called with Consul Gibson on the moutessarif (local governor), and, after an exchange of civilities, told him that one of the principal reasons for our present visit was to try and effect a settlement of the Namroun affair, that town, as well as Tarsus, being within the immediate jurisdiction of the moutessarif, and he in turn being under the vali or governor of Adana.
The moutessarif was very pleasant and reasonable and brought forward some reasons why the matter had not been finally disposed of, and finally assured me that it should receive prompt attention and that within the next two weeks it should be all settled; and, owing to the difficulties of communication, I handed him a written communication (copy inclosed) embodying the substance of what I wished to communicate.
In the afternoon, the moutessarif returned my call and again assured me that the Namroun matter should be promptly attended to and that he would reply in writing to my memorandum.
I also called on the officer in command of the troops, and later on on the American missionaries residing in Mersine, and do not find that any of them are apprehensive as to themselves or their schools, but they say that at the remote stations in the interior there has been a good deal of alarm among the missionaries on account of the disturbed state of the country.
The moutessarif told me that they had orders from Constantinople to guard the interests and persons of the American missionaries, and he was interested in so doing in his district.
On the following day (October 22) I went to Tarsus for the purpose of calling on the authorities, taking an officer with me and being accompanied by the United States consul from Beirut. We were received with considerable demonstration by the kaimakam (local governor), who furnished us with, carriages and an escort and insisted on our staying to lunch. We were shown the sights of the town, and a number of the prominent residents called to pay their respects to us. Our reception was most cordial and the moutessarif at Mersine sent a telegram while we were at Tarsus to the authorities there to see that we were properly looked out for.
We afterwards put up at St. Paul’s Institute (the American college), where there are about 70 young men under instruction, and received return calls from the authorities there, and took particular occasion to commend our people to them. I found Dr. Christie, the president, was held in much esteem, and they expressed surprise and regret that anyone should have molested him, but remarked that it did not happen at Tarsus, but at Namroun, some miles in the country, where the scholars had been removed on account of the cholera.
I have heard the particulars of the affair from Dr. Christie, and there is no doubt but that it was a prearranged attack by a party of Moslems, and came near being a very serious affair.
We passed the night at Tarsus, and the next morning went to Adana to call on the vali, who was absent, but we were cordially received by his representative, who, in speaking of our missionaries, said that they had none but the most kindly regard for them, and spoke in a friendly way of the number of years they had known them, and that they had nothing to say that was not in their favor.
After our call on the authorities, we visited the American school and found a prosperous and fine establishment, with about 140 girls under instruction. With Dr. Christie, wdio accompanied us, we made our headquarters there, and there received the return calls of the officials, as I wished them to see that we were there for the purpose of looking out for our own people.
[Page 1354]The school at Adana is at present in charge of two ladies only—a very injudicious thing, in my opinion. It appears that the missionary in charge, with his wife, had been absent some time in America on account of ill health; but the risk and responsibility is too great on leaving such a large and important institution to the care of ladies alone, and they said that they had suffered much anxiety of late, but that our presence and the knowledge that we were in the vicinity reassured them greatly.
Dr. Christie said that no one could estimate the benefit of our visit, and he felt as if they had received a sort of official recognition that they had never had before.
While at Adana the Armenian bishop sent word that he would like to pay his respects, but I thought it would probably be misconstrued by the authorities, and sent word that it would not be practicable.
Both Adana and Tarsus are wretched, filthy places, and it is not surprising that cholera or any other disease should flourish in them.
Within the last twenty-four hours the news has been received hereof the settlement between the Porte and the Powers, and everybody is hopeful of better and more tranquil times.
There has been a lot of cholera at Tarsus the past summer, but this section of the country is now considered free from it, and there is no quarantine against this port.
In view of the assurances that have been given, I do not think there is any danger of any trouble in this vicinity now. What may happen in the interior of the country, now or at any time, no one can tell, and no aid could be given by a vessel to people at the stations north of the Taurus Mountains.
I have thought, after remaining here a few days longer, to go over to Alexandretta, though there is nothing there to require our presence, and possibly to Latakea, but a short distance down the coast of Syria.
I think it would be well to visit the Syrian ports, as they do not come under the same officials as this section, and if matters are all satisfactorily settled here will probably ask permission by telegraph to do so, returning here again later.
I have received a document in Turkish from the moutessarif here, and have had to send it on shore to be translated. If it is returned in time I will inclose a copy with this; but as a steamer leaves to-morrow I wish to mail this to you.
Your telegram from Gibraltar, to send the transfer accounts of eight men to New York, was duly received and directions complied with.
The health of the ship’s company is generally good, though there are five men still on the sick list, not fully recovered from fever, but doing well.
Very respectfully, etc.,
Commander, U. S. N.
Commander O’Neil to the Moutessarif of Mersine.
Mersine, Asia Minor, October 21, 1895.
One of the chief reasons of my visit here at this time is because punishment has not been inflicted on the persons who were prominent in the assault on the students and servants of the household of Dr. Christie, of Tarsus, at Namroun, last summer, and who so grossly insulted and threatened him at that time.
I believe I am correct in saying that the Turkish Government has directed that the matter be investigated and has promised that the guilty parties will be punished, but that as yet no punishment has been inflicted, although the offenders are well known to the officials, and I regret that I am obliged to urge the authorities here to do a tardy act of justice which seems to have been needlessly and indefinitely postponed, but which is necessary not only because the punishment is the proper due of the offenders, who should be made to realize that they can not commit outrages with impunity, but as a warning to deter other evilly disposed persons from committing similar offenses, which they will surely do if the case in point is overlooked.
Dr. Christie is well known as a peaceful and law-abiding resident, and as such is entitled to full protection from the Turkish officials, and I earnestly request that your excellency will bring this matter to a prompt and definite termination by causing immediate and adequate punishment to be inflicted on the guilty parties; and I will thank your excellency very much not only to give me the assurance that this will be done, but that it has been done, before I leave this port, and that you will kindly inform me as to the nature and extent of the punishment inflicted and upon whom inflicted, or if it be not done you will be so good as to let me know the reason.
Your excellency must be aware that no country in the world is more disinterested in its friendship for Turkey than is the United States of America. We have no [Page 1355] political entanglements nor conflict of interests, and desire to preserve the most friendly relations with the Government and people of Turkey, and I trust you will not jeopardize this satisfactory condition of affairs by failing to accord to the few American citizens residing within the limits of your jurisdiction the protection they are entitled to, not only by the laws of international hospitality but by treaty stipulations.
The Government of the United States is seriously in earnest in this matter, and will not allow its peaceful citizens residing abroad to be ill-treated with impunity, and I hope you will by your prompt action in the premises enable me to make a satisfactory report as to the final settlement of the affair referred to, and all that is asked is that justice shall be done.
Awaiting your reply, I have, etc.,
Commander, U. S. N.
Commander O’Neil to Rear-Admiral Selfridge.
Asia Minor, October 30, 1895.
Sir: Since closing my No. 42 a couple of letters have been received here from one of the lady missionaries at Adana, saying that there were grave fears of an uprising of the Moslems, and that they feared serious trouble. The letters were shown to me, and I went and saw the moutessarif here and asked him to telegraph to the authorities at Adana, requesting in my name that every precaution be taken to secure the safety of our people there. He said he was sure that the danger was exaggerated, but that he would do as I desired, and affirmed that the authorities there and elsewhere of late had warned the people and officials that foreign subjects must not be molested; but whether such warning would avail anything in case of a fanatical disturbance is extremely doubtful.
The Armenians in this district, I am told, have committed some serious offenses against the Government, particularly at Marash, a city of some size, in the interior, and where we have a mission school, and it is feared they are inciting the people to disorder in Adana.
I shall tell the missionaries, if they ask my advice, that if they need more protection than the Government of Turkey can guarantee them where they now are that the best way to get it is to come to the coast, where our presence means something, but that they must be the judges of the necessity of so doing. They will be averse to leaving their schools and scholars, but I know of no other way to do than to disband the schools for the time being if there is real danger, but that in case of apprehended danger the first thing to do is to appeal to the local authorities for protection.
So far as property is concerned, indemnity can be secured if it is destroyed.
A Christian school is, or naturally would be, a point of attack in case of a great disturbance, and especially a girls’ school in charge of two women alone, as is the case at Adana.
There are so many rumors which grow as they are passed along that it is impossible to tell how much or how little truth there is in them.
The authorities, no doubt, are well-intentioned, and we have certainly made friends with them here, but they are few and the troops are few, while the Moslems are many.
Very likely it would be more dangerous for those living in remote districts to travel through the interior in the unsettled condition of affairs than to remain quietly at their stations, but of that they must be the judges.
I shall try and keep informed as to what goes on, and will not let the authorities forget that we are here and have some interests in this country.
Of course, I shall remain here while there is any reason for doing so instead of going to Alexandria.
Very respectfully, etc.,
Commander, U. S. N.