No. 576.
Mr. Heap
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, November 15, 1883.
(Received December 4.)
No. 298.]
Sir: I beg to refer you to General Wallace’s
dispatches, numbered 272 and 274, and dated the 7th and 12th of September
last, respectively, in relation to the assault on Messrs. Reynolds and
Knapp, American citizens, while traveling in the vilayet of Bitlis, Asia
Minor, in May last.
It is unnecessary to dwell upon the gravity of this outrage, the details of
which will be found in the communications referred to above, nor upon the
fact that so far no redress has been obtained either from the authorities of
Bitlis or from those of the capital.
[Page 889]
The evil reputation of Arif Pasha, the governor-general of Bitlis, leaves
little reason to hope that the robbers will be brought to punishment as long
as he is maintained at that post, and although it is stated that his removal
has been decided upon by the council of ministers, their report, unanimously
signed, I am informed, has not yet received the approval of the Sultan.
At the urgent demand of our missionaries I requested the British ambassador
to allow the English consuls in that portion of the Empire where we have no
consular representatives to give such assistance to our citizens as they
might need, and Lord Dufferin has informed me in reply that he considered
the instructions he had sent to Colonel Everett, Her Majesty’s
consul-general at Erzroom, would enable him to give our missionaries the
assistance they desired. I inclose a copy of Lord Dufferin’s note, dated the
27th of October last, as well as of two communications I received from his
lordship subsequently, dated the 5th and 7th instant respectively, which I
venture to hope will make it evident that a note of the character of the one
I addressed to Aarifi Pasha on the 12th instant, of which copy is inclosed,
was not uncalled for, and that the demand for the trial of the criminals at
Constantinople is not unreasonable.
As verbal communications with the officials of the Porte seldom lead to
satisfactory results, I send this note by Mr. Garguilo, with a translation
in French, to be read to the minister and left with him.* * *
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 298.]
Lord Dufferin to
Mr. Heap.
Therapia, October 27,
1883.
My Dear Mr. Heap: I am informed unofficially
that the ministry have recommended the dismissal both of the vali of Bitlis and of the vali of Van.
I have been looking through the instructions I have sent to our
consul-general. Colonel Everett, and both Mr. Wyndham and I consider
that they will enable him to give your missionaries the assistance they
desire.
Yours, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 298.]
Lord Dufferin to
Mr. Heap.
Therapia, November 5,
1883.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have
received a telegram from Her; Majesty’s consul at Erzroom, stating that
the governor-general at Bitlis has presented four men for Mr. Knapp’s
identification, and that he recognized a certain Moussa Bey as one of
those who attacked him in May last.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 298.]
Lord Dufferin to
Mr. Heap.
Therapia, November 7,
1883.
Sir: With reference to the dispatch I addressed
to you on the 5th instant, in which I informed you that Mr. Knapp had
identified Moussa Bey as one of his assailants in the attack made upon
him in May last, I have the honor to transmit to you herewith,
[Page 890]
for your information, a
dispatch, which I have just received from Her Majesty’s consul at
Erzroom on this subject.
You will perceive from Colonel Everett’s dispatch that it is considered
that unless strong pressure is brought to bear upon the Sublime Porte
there is very little chance &hat Moussa Bey will ever be brought to
justice.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure.—Extract.]
Mr. Everett to Lord
Dufferin.
Erzroom, October 26,
1883.
My Lord: On the receipt of Mr. Wyndham’s
dispatch of the 18th ultimo I wrote to Bitlis for information as to the
effect produced there by General Wallace’s representation to the
Porte.
By the last mail I received a letter from Mr. Knapp, dated the 15th
October, in which he tells me that the vali
intimated to him that his case had been referred to Constantinople, and
that Moussa Bey was to be summoned for his identification. But,” Mr.
Knapp adds, “that promise has not been fulfilled, and my interpreter
tells me that unless the pasha assures the bey that he will certainly
escape punishment he will never come in response to any summons
whatever. I have no hope, nor have any of my friends, that this pasha
will ever do anything in this matter.”
From the knowledge we possess of Arif’s character, it may fairly be
assumed that he will not do anything beyond asking a handsome present
from Moussa Bey as the price of his inaction; but it is to be hoped that
the United States minister will not allow the matter to drop.
I wish indeed that his excellency could see his way to obtain the
dismissal of this official.
* * * * * * *
I have &c.,
WILLIAM EVERETT,
Lieutenant-Colonel.
[Inclosure 4 in No. 298.]
Mr. Heap to
Aarifi Pasha.
United
States Legation,
Constantinople, November 12,
1883.
Highness: I regret that I am again compelled to
ask your highness’s attention to the supineness or indifference, not to
use a harsher term, of some of the imperial authorities in Asia Minor in
the discharge of their duty of protecting from oppression, and injustice
American citizens residing in that region.
The Government of the United States has appointed no consuls to reside in
the inland provinces of Turkey, confiding the safety and interests of
their citizens residing in the interior to the integrity, sense of
justice, and respect for treaties of the Turkish authorities. I have to
state with deep regret that this confidence has received a rude
shock.
Your highness is aware that two peaceable American citizens, while
traveling on the 22d of May last, near the village of Ghusrie, in the
region of Bitlis, were attacked by a band of highwaymen, and after being
brutally maltreated and dangerously wounded were robbed of all their
valuables. For the details of this outrage I beg to refer your highness
to the dispatch of his excellency General Wallace, dated the 10th of
September last.
Messrs. Reynolds and Knapp, the victims of this outrage, lost no time in
laying their complaint before Arif Pasha, the vali of Bitlis, in whose district it occurred: but this
functionary made no effort to secure the robbers, although they were
well known to him both by reputation and by name.
Subsequently, in consequence of pressure brought to bear on Arif Pasha,
the leader of the gang, Moussa Bey, who had cut Mr. Reynolds down and
left him for dead, was, with reluctance, allowed to be confronted with
Mr. Knapp, who identified him as one of their assailants. But even with
this evidence of guilt Arif Pasha has not allowed Moussa Bey to be
tried, and the very unenviable reputation of this vali gives cause
[Page 891]
for apprehension that even if
Moussa Bey is tried and found guilty he has already obtained from the
pasha assurances of immunity from the consequences of his crime.
In this connection it is proper to state that this legation has official
information that the disaffection or rather exasperation of every class
and creed of the population in consequence of the rapacity and
oppression of Arif Pasha, and his entire disregard, of the rights of the
people, is exceedingly great. The use of the telegraph has been denied
to them and the mails have been rifled to prevent the grievous wrongs of
the afflicted people of Bitlis from reaching His Majesty the Sultan.
But my object is not so much to show the unworthy character of Arif Pasha
as to appeal to your highness to take such measures as in your wisdom
you may consider best to secure the honor, the safety, and the interests
of Americans residing within this vali’s
jurisdiction.
The imperial ministry of foreign affairs has, I am happy to say, given
repeated assurances that this as well as Other kindred complaints should
receive prompt and fair consideration, but although these assurances
gave evidence of the friendly feeling of the ministry, the legation is
aware of no sensible progress in the settlement of these grievances.
Some of these questions are of so unpleasant a character and have been
so long pending in your highness’s department that anxiety may well be
felt that a longer delay in their settlement might give rise to claims
of an embarrassing if not irritating nature.
I therefore respectfully and earnestly request that your highness will
cause orders to be given that Moussa Bey and his accomplices be at once
tried for their crimes, and if it be decided to maintain Arif Pasha at
his present post, that the criminals be transferred to Constantinople
for trial.
In the confident hope that these reasonable requests will be granted, I
beg, &c.,
