Mr. Griscom to Mr. Hay.
Constantinople, January 13, 1900.
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 144 of the 8th instant in relation to the sequester of merchandise belonging to Dragoman Avedikian and the arrest of the cavass of our consulate at Smyrna, I have the honor to further report:
On the 10th instant I received from Consul Lane the following telegram:
American Minister, Constantinople:
Same court at Magnesia has again illegally ordered seizure of more American goods. Two employees of Avedikian arrested. Turkish soldiers sent into the country to prevent his purchasing goods. Useless to apply to vali for protection.
Lane.
This further illegal action on the part of the local Turkish authorities appeared to me very serious in view of the repeated assurances of the [Page 929] minister for foreign affairs, as already reported, that orders had been issued by the Porte in conformity with my request for the immediate adjustment of the affair. I at once called on the minister for foreign affairs at his residence, showed him Consul Lane’s telegram, and protested in a forcible manner against the renewed illegal action of the court at Magnesia and the failure to fulfill the promises made me as to the original offense. The minister at once sent a telegraphic order marked “urgent” to the governor of Aidin demanding an immediate reply giving full explanation of the situation and the failure to execute the Porte’s previous orders.
I therefore telegraphed Consul Lane as follows:
Porte has again sent instructions to vali to remove sequester and return cavass’s arms. You will see vali at once and ascertain what action he has taken. Telegraph result.
Griscom, Chargé.
Within a few hours the minister sent for Mr. Gargiulo, the dragoman of this legation, and submitted to him two telegraphic replies just received by him from the governor of Aidin. They were in Turkish, but Mr. Gargiulo was permitted by the courtesy of the minister to make unofficial translations, copies of which are herewith inclosed.
From the first reply of the governor of Aidin it will be seen that he received the orders of the Porte directing an immediate amicable adjustment of the affair, and with this end in view he requested Consul Lane to confer with him, in order to jointly determine the action to be taken. Consul Lane at first accepted the invitation of the vali to confer, but subsequentlu sent him word that he would not discuss with him the subject of the licorice root. After this refusal of Consul Lane to meet and confer the vali considered that he could not adjust the matter administratively, and left it in the hands of the court.
It is not clear to me upon what grounds the consul refused the friendly invitation of the vali to a conference to be held with the object of arranging for the settlement of all the difficulties, but it is evident that such refusal has rendered futile the efforts of this legation for the past ten days to secure an immediate and satisfactory adjustment of the affair.
In this connection I would like to call the attention of the Department to my telegram, previously reported, to Consul Lane, of December 30, as follows:
Porte has telegraphed ordering immediate delivery of aims of cavass to you and explanations of seizure of merchandise. You will see vali and telegraph me result. Your written report awaited.
Griscom, Chargé.
To which he replied:
Arms not yet delivered. Understand your telegram that I am to see vali after delivery.
Lane.
In my written dispatch of the 4th instant, previously reported, I called the consul’s attention to the fact that he had placed a wrong construction upon my telegram, my intention being that he should see the vali immediately upon the receipt of my message.
The second telegram of the governor to the minister for foreign affairs is in explanation of the incident reported in Consul Lane’s telegram set forth above. Avedikian is accused of attempting to seize licorice root belonging to an English merchant named Forbes, and such [Page 930] seizure being resisted the employees of Avedikian beat the workmen of Forbes, and wounded the mouktar or chief of the village of Elgi, and took possession by force of the goods belonging to Forbes. The employees of Avedikian were then arrested by order of the caimakam (subgovernor).
I am not in possession of any further details of this incident, but the title to the licorice root in question is clearly a matter for settlement in the Turkish courts, and if Avedikian has acted in an arbitrary and illegal manner he will not receive the protection of this legation.
In my dispatch to the Department, No 144, of the 8th instant, I had the honor to submit to the Department the question of the protection to be given dragomans of consulates in the transaction of their private mercantile business. The incident, reported by Consul Lane, of the arrest of Avedi loan’s employees is an illustration of the difficulties which will surround the situation should the United States Government determine to protect the dragomans. On the other hand it is perhaps well to point out that if the honorary dragomans attached to the many consulates are deprived of the protection which they are supposed hitherto to have enjoyed, they will in all probability no longer continue to serve the United States Government without pay.
Assistant Secretary of State Porter, in an instruction, No. 170, of May 8, 1885, to the consul-general at Constantinople, laic it down in a positive manner that the dragomans were not entitled to protection except in the discharge of their official functions and at the place of their consulate. This decision is not known to the dragomans, nor is it a matter of common knowledge throughout the consular service.
I therefore respectfully submit the question for the renewed consideration of the Department.
I have, etc.,