Minister Leishman to the Secretary of State.
Constantinople, September 14, 1905.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 877, of August 14, 1905, inclosing copy of a letter from Mr. J. B. Hammond, complaining against the action of the customs officials at Constantinople in detaining a certain shipment of typewriting machines consigned by him to Messrs. Bond, Seller & Co.
The facts in the case are that the Turkish Government issued a practically prohibitive order some months ago against the introduction of typewriting machines on the ground that they could be used by illy disposed people for the circulation of revolutionary literature, as it would be much more difficult to trace the authors of such typewritten letters than in the case of ordinary hand-written circulars.
I am quite convinced that the reason given is the only one and one that seems to carry much weight with the Turks, ridiculous as it may appear, and all the efforts of the British ambassador and myself have been up to the present time unavailing except to induce the Porte to instruct the custom-house to permit machines consigned in individual names (when the party was known) to pass.
The greatest difficulty seems to have been experienced by the Oliver Typewriting Machine Company, this company as well as the Hammond Company being represented here by English agents who purchase the machines outright, and are consequently the owners, which insures the active cooperation of the English embassy.
As the embargo affects a very legitimate and commendable American industry, it is scarcely necessary for me to add that the legation will continue to make every proper effort to have the objectionable order rescinded.
I have, etc.,