Minister Leishman
to the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Constantinople, November 4,
1905.
No. 1191.]Sir: Referring further to my dispatch, No.
1171, of October 9, 1905, regarding the question of colportage and
unrestricted sale of the Bible in Turkey, I beg to inclose for the
information of the Department copy of recent correspondence with the
Sublime Porte on this subject.
While the declarations of the minister for foreign affairs may be
accepted as a satisfactory adjustment of the matter in principle, I have
felt it necessary to take exception to the manner in which certain
regulations were to be applied, for while the stipulations mentioned in
the note of the Porte would appear to be just, the right to determine
the necessity of putting such restrictions into operation could not be
safely left in the hands of local officials.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure
1.—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Minister Leishman.
Sublime Porte,
Ministry for Foreign
Affairs,
October 10,
1905.
Mr. Minister: In reply to the note which
your excellency kindly addressed to me on September 19 last, as well
as the note verbale of April 6 last, I have the honor to inform you
that according to a telegram received from the governor-general of
the Konia vilayet the 114 books which were in the possession of the
colporteur Avraham Oglou Isaac, of Newchehir, were seized because
the aforesaid was not provided with a regular permit, but as soon as
the authorities had ascertained by an examination that they were
simply the Bibles published with the authorization of the department
of public instruction they were returned to him.
As far as the sale of the Bible is concerned, I feel myself obliged
to call your excellency’s attention to the fact that it has never
been forbidden.
That which the Sublime Porte requires is that the colporteurs should
furnish to the Imperial authorities at the various places a guaranty
and that, in conformity with that which has been already agreed
upon, they should not enter certain towns where the prosecution of
their work would be, in view of local conditions, considered by the
Imperial authorities as creating embarrassment.
The necessary communications on this subject having been already sent
to the provincial authorities, I beg your excellency to cause the
American Bible Society to be informed of the foregoing for its
guidance.
I take, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
Minister Leishman to the Minister for
Foreign Affairs.
American Legation,
Constantinople, November 3, 1905.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s note of the 10th of
October, 1905, in regard to the matter of colportage carried on in
the Ottoman Empire by the American Bible Society.
[Page 910]
As far as the Newchehir incident is concerned, I am glad to see that
the local authorities admit, as I had already pointed out to your
excellency, that the colporteur of the American Bible Society sold
nothing but the Bible, and I trust that the books, the property of
an American corporation, which were seized in an unwarranted manner,
have already been returned to the colporteur. Had the authorities in
Newchehir examined themselves the books, they would have seen that
in each copy was inserted the number and date of the imprimatur of
the Imperial department of public instruction, and they could have
avoided the loss of time and other inconveniences involved in
unnecessarily sending the books to Konia.
As to the general question of the sale of the Bible or parts thereof
in the Empire, I am happy to take note that the Imperial Government
once more declared its willingness to adhere to the tolerant
principle of the free circulation of the book held sacred, a
principle consecrated by treaties and long usage.
Regarding the mode of carrying on this undisputable right of the
Bible Society, I beg to submit the following points which should be
made clear between the Sublime Porte and this legation.
- 1.
- As far as the Sublime Porte’s wish for a guaranty is
concerned, I beg to inform you that the American Bible Society
guarantees each one of its colporteurs. I consider the guaranty
of such a well-known and highly reputable society as sufficient
and much more satisfactory than what the Imperial authorities
can find in the provinces from individual guarantors. The
principal agent of the society in Constantinople uses great care
in selecting his colporteurs. Should it be proved that any one
of them is a person disloyally acting against the laws of the
country he would naturally be at once dismissed by the principal
agent. This legation is not aware that during the sixty years
that the American Bible Society has carried on its work in the
Empire any one of its colporteurs has been convicted of any
disloyal act whatever. I therefore see no necessity to introduce
the novelty of asking for any further guaranty.
- 2.
- Regarding the proposal of the Sublime Porte to introduce a
restriction to the principle of the free circulation of
colporteurs in certain cities, this legation would take into
consideration any notice from the Sublime Porte asking that
colporteurs should not visit certain cities on account of
disturbed conditions. I need not remind your excellency that
during the past few years the legation has on several occasions,
upon the request of the Sublime Porte, advised missionaries and
others to postpone their visits to certain localities on account
of disturbed conditions. And so in the future, in case the
Sublime Porte should come to an agreement with this legation
that such restrictive measures are necessary for certain
localities, this legation would naturally, in order to spare all
inconvenience to the Sublime Porte, and in the interest of the
Bible Society itself, advise the principal agent against sending
colporteurs to such disturbed localities so long as the
disturbed condition continued. But this on the clear
understanding that such order to the principal agent or any
colporteur in the service of the Bible Society comes from this
legation only, as this legation can not agree to any principle
which would allow the local authorities to restrain colporteurs
of the American Bible Society from visiting this place or on the
plea that the local conditions so demand. Giving to the local
authorities such privileges might possibly lead to abuses, which
I am sure the Sublime Porte would like to prevent.
In conclusion I beg to submit another point. The principal agent of
the society informs me that the colporteurs are furnished with
permits to carry on their business, but that sometimes they
encounter difficulties when going from one vilayet to another,
because the authorities demand that they be furnished with permits
granted by each municipal circle or vilayet through which they pass.
If such permits are really necessary, in my opinion, they should be
granted on the application of the principal agent, by the competent
authorities in Constantinople, and drawn up in such a manner that
the permits would be valid and recognized throughout the Empire.
I take, etc.,
