[Inclosure.]
Mr. Haven to
the Secretary of State.
New
York City,
December 19, 1905.
Sir: I wish to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of November 24, with its accompanying copy of Mr.
Leishman’s letter to the Department of State of November 4, the
letter from the Sublime Porte, ministry for foreign affairs, to Mr.
Leishman under date of October 10, 1905, and his letter to Tewfik
Pacha, under date of November 3, 1905, which you inform us you have
commended in instructions sent to Mr. Leishman November 24,
1905.
I have before me also a letter from the Department of State, under
date of November 11, from Mr. Robert Bacon, Assistant Secretary of
State, inclosing a copy of a letter to the Department of State from
the legation in Constantinople, under date of the 9th of October,
1905.
I wish to express, on the part of the board of managers of the
American Bible Society, its appreciation of the interest the
Department of State is taking in this matter.
It is one which is most serious to the work of this society; which
sets aside conventions long established; causes constant annoyance
and threatens a paralysis of our work in certain parts of
Turkey.
Mr. Leishman’s letter, under date of November 3, to Tewfik Pacha, is
very much to the point, and if the position therein taken be pressed
steadily upon the attention of the Sublime Porte it ought to relieve
the situation.
In asking for the protection of our colporteurs as they go about
their legitimate business as appointed agents of the American Bible
Society it is possible that the emphasis may have been placed so as
to give justification to the communication of Mr. Bacon. It amounts
to the same thing, however, if the request
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is put the other way and the American Bible
Society expresses its desire that its work covered by the treaty
conventions in Turkey may not be impeded. Of course I do not see any
way in which the business of the American Bible Society can be
protected without our colporteurs are allowed to get their books and
to go about from village to village, as they have been for many
decades, subject only to such arrest and surveillance as might
properly occur if any one of them was an unworthy character.
Our colporteurs are chosen with care and have official recognition
given them by our principal representative in Constantinople, but,
as I have already said, I need not dwell upon this. The important
matter is that our business is in many places being brought to a
standstill. We have reason to believe that the interference of local
officials originates really in the central authorities in
Constantinople.
Our last communication from our agent, under date of November 28,
1905, informs us that the books seized at Nigde last August have not
yet been surrendered. They were sent from Konia to Nev Shehir, where
our agent resides. The Kaimakam of Nev Shehir refuses to give them
up until our agent secures permit to sell from Konia. That is, we
are not even permitted to have possession of our own property,
unless we can get a local permission from petty authorities to sell
the same.
The agent resident at Nev Shehir was forbidden to sell until he
secured a local permit. He at once applied for one. After some
hesitation the local authorities referred him to Konia, the capital
of the province, at least three days’ journey from the place of his
residence. This is intended to obstruct a perfectly legal
business.
Our agent at Konia also has been forbidden to sell until he secures
the local permit. He applied at once for this, but was informed that
the local officials did not know exactly how to prepare such a
permit and they must refer to Constantinople for instructions. He is
still waiting for his permit, and no one knows how long he may
continue to wait.
Our agent at Trebizond is still forbidden by the authorities to do
our work. They refuse a local permit and will not accept the
Constantinople permit sent some time ago. They represent that they
have strong instructions from Constantinople to prevent his working
as a traveling colporteur.
It is perfectly evident from the letter to Mr. Leishman from the
Sublime Porte, ministry for foreign affairs, under date of October
10, 1905, that the Turkish Government is attempting to deal
evasively with this whole question of the rights of the American
Bible Society. In behalf of the board of managers I beg the most
earnest consideration on the part of the Department of State of
these difficulties.
Very truly, yours,
William Ingraham
Haven,
Corresponding
Secretary.
