Mr. Olney to Mr. Herbert.
Washington, January 2, 1896.
Sir: With your letter of December 23, the receipt of which I had the honor to acknowledge on the 20th ultimo, you communicated copy of a report from Rear-Admiral Selfridge, commanding the United States naval force on the European station, under date of November 30, to which was appended copy of a communication addressed on that day [Page 1441] by the admiral to the vali of Aleppo in regard to the burning and plundering of the buildings belonging to the American mission in Marash. I have now received your later letter of the 27th ultimo, by which it appears that, under date of December 2, Admiral Selfridge recalled his letter of the 30th of November to the vali of Aleppo, and substituted another letter under date of December 2.
In a dispatch, No. 716, of De ember 10, 1895, Mr. Terrell communicates to the Department copy of the first letter written by the admiral to the vali, which he had received from the admiral. It is presumed that in due course Mr. Terrell will inform the Department of the withdrawal of that letter and the substitution of the later one of December 2.
As to the substance of the two letters written by the admiral to the vali, the later communication appears, on several accounts, to be the more preferable, in that it more correctly recites the injury done to the establishments of the American mission at Marash and omits reference to treaty guarantees, which might have opened the way to unnecessary discussion of a diplomatic question between himself and a subordinate official of the Turkish Government.
Without being aware how far the instructions given to the admiral contemplate direct correspondence by him with provincial governors, it may be observed that independent local treatment of diplomatic questions, which are necessarily the subject of direct correspondence through the accredited channels of international communication, may be as a general thing undesirable in dealing with a government like that of the Ottoman Empire, in which power and responsibility are centralized at the capital; and that it would seem preferable that correspondence affecting the international rights of our citizens in Turkey, or of this Government as their protector, should be conducted through diplomatic channels, unless some emergency should render that course impossible and make immediate action on the spot necessary to avert imminent peril.
This Government had already through the minister at Constantinople notified the Government of the Porte that it would be held to strict accountability for injury to American citizens and their property, and a suitable demand in the premises, through the same channel, only awaits ascertainment of the measure of reparation to be asked.
I highly appreciate the zeal and energy shown by Admiral Selfridge in his efforts to further the interests of American citizens in that locality; and I doubt not that, occasion arising, his cooperation toward the attainments of the ends in view by this Government will be energetic and effective.
I have, etc.,