Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 7, 1896, and the Annual Report of the Secretary of State

Mr. Riddle to Mr. Olney.

Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, May 16, 1896. (Received June 1.)

No. 873.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 938, of the 15th ultimo, inclosing copy of correspondence with Mavroyeni Bey, in relation to the alleged protest of a certain number of Armenians of Harpoot against the presence and teaching of foreign missionaries in that city. I have shown the correspondence to the British ambassador, Sir Philip Ourrie, and have furnished him with a copy of the Armenian petition with its list of signatures, requesting at the same time the good offices of the British vice-consul at Harpoot to ascertain the foundation for these charges, and to investigate the genuineness of the petition in question.

His excellency has replied that it will afford him pleasure to forward instructions immediately in that sense to the vice-consul.

I have, etc.,

J. W. Riddle,
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.