Mr. Poche calls attention to the situation of the nine Americans in
prison at Aleppo, to the case of Mauasseh Papazian, whose wife and
children desire to come to America, to the intention of the Sultan to
expel all naturalized Armenian citizens of foreign countries, and to the
recent seizure of a letter bag belonging to American citizens. The evils
complained of 1 am attempting to remedy.
[Inclosure in No.
974.—Translation.]
Mr. Poche to
Mr. Terrell.
Consular Agency Of The United States,
Aleppo, Syria, August 21, 1896.
Sir: In answer to your honored telegram of
the 15th instant:
Poche, American Consular Agent:
Are the American citizens still in prison; and how are they
treated?
Terrell.
I answered as follows:
American Legation,
Constantinople:
American citizens are still imprisoned without any pecuniary
means, receiving only 300 drachmas of bread, granted to all
prisoners. They implore your excellency’s assistance. Vali
said to be without instructions on their behalf.
The local authorities of Aintab refuse to deliver to Manasseh
Papazian, naturalized American, and bearer of a passport,
No. 302, dated Constantinople, July 20, 1895, signed by your
excellency; also, one to his wife, a native American, and to
his two minor children, born at Aintab, and wishing to go to
the United States, but on the condition that they should
declare themselves Ottoman subjects. The vali requests that
you dissipate the difficulties. Claims that he can not
recognize an Ottoman subject as an American citizen.
Poche.
[Page 921]
Immediately after the receipt of the above telegram, I went to His
Excellency Raïf Pasha, from whom I learned that he had not received
any instructions from Constantinople regarding the prisoners in
question, who are lying piled up in a room which hardly contains
them, unprovided with any resources, and receiving for nourishment
only what I have had the honor to inform you of, that is, the daily
allotment given to every prisoner.
His excellency informed me that they refused the bread given to them
on the day when I saw him, and he could not understand their
refusal. Having inquired about the cause from the prisoners, I
answered him by a letter, a copy of which I herewith inclose for
your excellency’s approval.
The verbal petitions which these nine prisoners address to me to be
brought to the attention of your excellency in regard to a respect
for conventions demanding their release are daily, and call for your
attention.
The second paragraph of my telegram relates, as your excellency can
easily see, to Manasseh Papazian and to his family, to whom the
local authorities refuse recognition of American citizenship
obtained by Mr. Papazian by a certificate of naturalization issued
from the police court, Newburyport, district of Massachusetts, dated
November 4, 1891, a copy of which I have the honor to transmit to
your excellency. Mr. Papazian has exhibited to me also a copy of his
passport issued by your excellency July 20, 1895, sub. No. 302.
His Excellency Raif Pasha says that these documents, though
sufficient to the American Government to establish the nationality
of Mr. Papazian, are of no value to the Ottoman Government, and he
can not allow the natives of Turkey the right to return to the
country of their origin with the purpose of living therein vested
with a foreign nationality.
His excellency added that the last orders which came from
Constantinople instructed the local authorities to expel from the
States of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan all persons of Ottoman
origin who would not renounce their claims to foreign nationality
obtained in such a way.
In this situation, I beg your excellency to instruct me as to my line
of conduct and in that which may develop in the future. No radical
change is assumed by the Government’s attitude with regard to
American citizens.
Lately the messenger carrying letters and prints belonging to the
Revs, J. Boggs, Dodds, and Moore, from Latakieh to Suedieh, has been
arrested on his way and put in prison and the letter bag seized. On
my demand the letter bag has been delivered to me containing
unsealed letters, censured newspapers, with perhaps some of them
taken away. May these vexatious conditions soon vanish.
Taking advantage of a leave of absence that the Hon. Th. R. Gibson,
our excellent consul, has granted me on account of ill health, and
of which I was not able to avail myself because of these events, I
hope to leave Aleppo in a fortnight, leaving the agency to Mr.
Alfred Poche, the Dutch consul in this city, who will follow with
great care any instructions with which your excellency may honor
him.
Receive, etc.,
