Mr. Olney to Mr.
Terrell.
Department of State,
Washington, January 2,
1896.
No. 755.]
Sir: Your dispatch No. 716, of the 10th ultimo,
reports the communication received by you from Admiral Selfridge,
commanding the United States naval force on the European station, with
which is inclosed a letter addressed by him on the 30th of November to
the vali of Aleppo in regard to the destruction and pillaging of a part
of the American missionaries’ premises at Marash.
Since your dispatch was received the Secretary of the Navy has advised me
of a subsequent report from Admiral Selfridge, under date of December 2,
stating that in consequence of receiving later information of a more
favorable character from Marash, he recalled his letter of November 30
to the vali of Aleppo, which had not yet been forwarded from
Alexandretta, and has substituted for it another letter of December 2 in
somewhat modified terms. I inclose for your information copy of this
later communication to the vali, although I presume you will have
received it in due course from Admiral Selfridge. It is observed that,
besides more accurately stating the character and extent of the injuries
suffered by American citizens at Marash, it omits reference to treaty
obligations in the premises, and this bears less appearance of inviting
international discussion with a provincial authority.
In acknowledging the last letter of the Secretary of the Navy occasion
has been taken to intimate that diplomatic discussion of the character
in question between the naval agents of this Government and the
provincial authorities of the Empire may not be expedient or necessary,
in view of the ordinary conduct of such correspondence through the
regularly accredited channels, unless some emergency should render the
usual resort impossible and require instant action on the spot to
prevent imminent peril to American citizens or their interests.
I am, etc.,
[Page 1440]
[Inclosure in No. 755.]
Mr. Herbert to
Mr. Olney.
Navy Department,
Washington, December 27,
1895.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith,
for your informal ion, a copy of a letter from Rear-Admiral Thomas
O. Selfridge, commanding United States naval force on European
station, dated the 2d instant, inclosing a translation of a letter
written by him to the vali of Aleppo, in regard to the plundering
and burning of the American mission station at Marash.
I have, etc.,
[Subinclosure 1 in No.
755.]
Rear-Admiral Selfridge to Mr. Herbert.
U.
S. S. San Francisco,
Alexandretta, Syria, December 2, 1895.
Sir: In consequence of receiving later
information of a more favorable character from Marash, I recalled my
letter of November 30, 1895, to the vali of Aleppo, a translation of
which was sent to the Department with my letter No. 20. The letter
to the vali had not been forwarded from Alexandretta.
I have this day written the vali of Aleppo another letter in regard
to the plundering and burning of the American mission station at
Marash, and inclose herewith a translation of the same.
Very respectfully,
Thomas O. Selfridge,
Rear-Admiral, U. S. N.
[Subinclosure 2 in No.
755.—Translation.]
Rear-Admiral Selfridge to Moustapha Zihni
Pasha.
Alexandretta, Syria, December 2, 1895.
Sir: I learn with deep regret, through the
American consul at Aleppo, that, notwithstanding the orders from His
Majesty the Sultan to the different valis to protect the property of
foreigners in his dominions, the establishments of the American
mission at Marash ha ye been plundered and a portion burned by
Turkish soldiers.
It becomes my duty as commander in chief of the United States naval
forces to state strongly to your excellency that my Government will
hold those responsible to a strict accountability for injury done to
American citizens and their property.
I expect that you will, in accordance with the orders from the
Sultan, at once arrest and punish those persons engaged in this
outrage, and that you will take more strenuous efforts to protect
Americans and their property residing in your vilayet.
I have, etc.,
Thomas O. Selfridge,
Rear-Admiral, U. S. N.
