Although Mr. Gibson reports having brought the circumstances to the
attention of the legation through the consulate-general, his present
dispatch so clearly narrates the course of the incident as to make it
suitable for preservation on your files.
With reference to the Department’s instruction No. 167, of 30th ultimo,
on the same subject, I desire to lay special stress on the extraordinary
harshness of the action of the caimacam of Alexandretta, who, in the
face of the orders from Constantinople to permit these unfortunate
persons to depart in accordance with their long obstructed plans and at
the urgent solicitation of the United States minister, appears to have
arbitrarily and with gratuitous cruelty commanded their expulsion within
one hour’s time. This circumstance abundantly justifies the comments on
the whole proceeding contained in the Department’s note to Mavroyeni Bey
of March 27, and warrants the President’s expectation that the Porte
will hasten to disavow the act of its local agents and tender to the
injured parties redress for the needless wrong they have suffered.
[Inclosure in No. 174.]
Mr. Gibson to
Mr. Uhl.
Consulate of the United States,
Beirut, March 26, 1894. (Received April
16.)
No. 8.]Sir: I have the honor to report that Mr.
Frederic Poche, United States consular agent at Aleppo, notified
this office in a letter dated the 2d December, 1893, that two
naturalized American citizens, Mr. Jacob Arakjinjian and Mrs.
Catherine Toprahanian, native born of Armenia, had been arrested by
the local authorities of Alexandretta, and, without any alleged
motive, prevented them from sailing to the United States. Mr. Poche,
who was informed by wire of this incident by the interested parties,
considered it necessary, in order to avoid delays and additional
telegraphic expenses, to address direct to our legation at
Constantinople the telegram of which the following is a literal
translation:
American Legation,
Constantinople.
Jacob Arakjinjian and Catherine Toprahanian bearing passports
from legation dated October 10, 1893, Nos. 195 and 196, are
forbidden to depart for New York by the local authorities of
Alexandretta. Please obtain telegraphic order to Aleppo
Vilayet to permit them to pass.
Poche,
Consular Agent.
Notwithstanding the steps taken by the United States consular agent
in Aleppo, this consulate made it its duty to report the case with
full details to the Honorable W. B. Hess, ex-consul-general at
Constantinople, with request to use his kind offices and secure
through the United States legation peremptory orders from the
Sublime Porte for the release of Jacob Arakjinjian and Mrs.
Toprahanian and her children.
Later on Mr. Poche informed this office that in obedience to
telegraphic instructions addressed to him by the honorable Minister
Terrell he asked the vali of Aleppo to declare to him what were the
charges brought against the American parties that gave rise to the
oppressive measures taken to their detriment by the caimacam of
Alexandretta. In reply to Mr. Poche’s communication the vali of
Aleppo notified him that the vilayet had no official knowledge that
the persons in question had repudiated their Ottoman nationality,
and consequently the caimacam of Alexandretta, not being aware of
their real status, considered it his duty to detain them pending the
receipt by him of some reliable information on their account from
the authorities of Diarbekir, and that
[Page 774]
upon the receipt of the same they would be
treated in conformity with the expected orders and the regulations
in force.
The true facts in the case would, however, appear to be as follows:
Mr. Arakjinjian and Mrs. Toprahanian being Armenians, the
authorities of Diarbekir declined either to visa their American
passports or to furnish them with a Turkish voyage teskeré. In the
absence of the latter document the caimacam of Alexandretta thought
that he would be justified in preventing them from leaving the
country and sailing for New York. It is notorious how the Armenian
population is being suspected, worried, and harassed by the agents
of the Turkish Government, and it can be easily understood why they
do not favorably countenance the emigration of Armenian refugees to
the United States.
In this connection it is worth reporting that the caimacam of
Alexandretta, after taking possession of the passports of Mr.
Arakjinjian and Mrs. Toprahanian, attempted to subject them to
interrogatories which they positively objected to undergo without
the assistance of the consular dragoman, as required by treaties and
regulations. In consequence of this refusal they were placed under
the inspection of a police agent to watch them in their domicile and
detain them therein.
On the 9th instant intelligence was received from Mr. Poche to the
effect that after prolonged and much complicated negotiations
between the United States legation at Constantinople, the Sublime
Porte, himself, and the governor-general of Aleppo, the
latter—thanks to the energetic pressure which was brought to bear by
the honorable Minister Terrell upon the Turkish Government—has at
last issued positive orders to the caimacam of Alexandretta to
release the Americans detained by him and to let them continue their
journey to the United States.
The caimacam, however, instead of carrying out implicitly and in good
faith the instructions transmitted to him, summoned Mr. Arakjinjian
and Mrs. Toprahanian and informed them that they were allowed but
one hour to leave the country and on board a Turkish steamer that
was in the port. Having spent all their money during their long
detention, and being afraid to go on board an Ottoman vessel, the
distressed parties in question, in the absence of a United States
consular representative at Alexandretta, appealed to Mr. Daniel
Walker, agent of the American Stamford Manufacturing Company in that
city, who took up their cause and succeeded after much difficulty in
persuading the caimacam to allow them sufficient time to get ready
for the voyage.
In conclusion, it affords me pleasure to be able to report to the
Department, from verbal communication recently obtained from Mr.
Walker that Mr. Arakjinjian, Mrs. Toprahanian and her children have
at last left Alexandretta on board an English steamer, bound for
Alexandria, on their way to the United States.
All of the foregoing facts have been duly brought to the notice of
our consulate-general at Constantinople and through it to the
knowledge of the honorable minister, Mr. Terrell, who has taken a
deep interest in the concerns of the American parties referred to
above.
In this connection it is most appropriate to observe that the recent
visit of the United States flagship Chicago,
with Hear-Admiral Erben on board, to the port of Alexandretta proved
to be a most fitting close to this incident by showing that the
United States Government is ready to fully support and back its
representatives with the magnificent men-of-war placed at its
disposition and to protect the rights and interest of its citizens
residing abroad.
I am, etc.,
Thomas R. Gibson,
U. S. Consul.
