ance Company. His letter of August 8 to Messrs. J. W. Whittall & ALVEY A. ADEE, PROTECTION OF CUBAN INTERESTS BY UNITED STATES CONSULS. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. No. 209.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to your telegraphic instruction" of May 24 last, with reference to the request of the Cuban Government that the United States consuls throughout the Ottoman Empire should represent the interests of Cuba until such time as the latter nation should be in a position to appoint its own representatives, I have now the honor to inclose herewith for your information a copy of a note which I addressed to the Ottoman Government immediately upon receipt of the above-mentioned telegram, and the copy of a second note which I feel obliged to transmit to the Porte to-day. During the intervening two weeks between the transmittal of my first note and of my second I have several times called upon the minister for foreign affairs, and during my interviews with him I have urged a prompt decision in regard to this matter. Each time I have been assured that it would be settled satisfactorily and immediately. You will readily perceive from this example of the method of treating a very simple request how extremely difficult it is becoming to cause any action to be taken on any of the numerous cases which have been pending for a very long period. The Imperial Government shows a disposition to inactivity which is as unaccountable as it is annoying. This "do-nothing" policy is not confined alone to the United States, as I am aware that at least one of my colleagues has suffered from the same cause. * * I shall lose no time in telegraphing the reply of the Imperial Government directly it is received. I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. [Inclosure 1.] No. 113.] Mr. Leishman to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, YOUR EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to inform you that I have this day received telegraphic instructions from my Government to the effect that the President of Cuba has requested the United States Government to cause its consular officers throughout the Turkish Empire to be authorized to use their good offices in representation of the interests of Cuba and its citizens until Cuban consuls shall have been appointed. I have therefore the honor to request that this necessary permission be granted, and that your excellency will be good enough to notify me within as short a space of time as possible concerning the action taken by the Imperial Government in this matter, as it is necessary that I should at once inform my Government by telegraph. I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. a Printed, page 6. FR 1902, PT 1—66 No. 119.] [Inclosure 2.] Mr. Leishman to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES; YOUR EXCELLENCY: On May 24 last I had the honor to inform you that I had received telegraphic instructions from my Government to request the Imperial Government to allow the United States consuls throughout the Ottoman Empire to act for Cubans and for Cuban interests until such time as the latter country should be able to appoint their own representatives. Your excellency will observe that since the transmittal of my note to you more than two weeks have elapsed, and as the urgency of the matter was sufficiently evinced to you at the time, I have now the honor to request that an immediate reply may be sent to me, stating whether or not the Imperial Government is willing to accede to the desire of the Cuban Government. I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. No. 281.] Mr. Eddy to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have this day had an interview with the minister for foreign affairs. In the course of this interview I brought to his notice the request of the Cuban Government that the American representatives throughout the Ottoman Empire should take charge of Cubans and of Cuban interests until such time as the Cuban Government should be in a position to appoint representatives of their own. * * * The minister for foreign affairs informed me that the permission to assume protection of Cubans and Cuban interests throughout the Empire was a matter for the personal consideration of the Sultan himself. He could give no other excuse for the unwarranted delay in reply to the legation's many notes on the subject than that His Majesty had not as yet been able to take the matter up. I have, etc., * * * SPENCER EDDY. PROTECTION OF AMERICAN INTERESTS BY BRITISH VICE-CONSUL No. 237.] AT BITLIS. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith copy of a dispatch from Consul Bergholz, in which he makes a request, at the instance of the Rev. Dr. Cole, that the British vice-consul at Bitlis be authorized to look after American interests in the Bitlis district. I have no hesitation in indorsing Mr. Bergholz's recommendation, first having obtained the Department's approval, in which event I am quite satisfied the British Government will cheerfully give its consent, as my English colleague here has frequently suggested the desirability of having our consular agents throughout the Ottoman Empire look after each other's interests in the event of only one of the two powers having an agent in the district. Awaiting your advices, I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. [Inclosure.] Mr. Bergholz to Mr. Leishman. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to the last paragraph of my dispatch No. 131, dated February 10, regarding the question of intrusting American interests at Bitlis to the British viceconsul and to your reply of February 28, No. 174 M. C., I am now in receipt of a letter from Rev. R. M. Čole, of the American mission, dated July 5, in which he writes me as follows: "Our vali refuses to recognize any particular interference of the English viceconsul in protection of our American interests till special instructions on the point are given." Since the Department has not deemed it advisable to take up, at the present time, the question of appointing a consul at Bitlis, and in view of the fact that our missionaries there are wholly dependent upon the British consular representative for the protection of their interests and treaty rights, and for such assistance as they may need, as I am so far away that I am unable to render them with the promptness necessary the aid they may desire, and having, besides, no official recognition either from the Porte or the local authorities outside of the province of Erzerum, I would respectfully recommend that your excellency obtain the consent of the British embassy to having American interests within the Bitlis Province represented by the British vice-consul and have, at the same time, a vizierial letter sent to the governorgeneral at Bitlis directing him to recognize the British vice-consulate as representing the United States. I have, etc., No. 216.] Mr. Adee to Mr. Leishman. LEO BERGHOLZ, Consul. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: The Department is in receipt of a communication, dated the 19th ultimo, from the United States consul at Erzerum, inclosing a copy of correspondence had with your legation in regard to the protection of American interests at Bitlis by the British consul there. You are instructed to request of the foreign office authorization for the British consul at Bitlis to use his good offices on behalf of American citizens in his jurisdiction. SIR: In connection with the Department's No. 216 of the 16th instant in regard to the protection of American interests at Bitlis by the British vice-consul there, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 237 of the 24th ultimo. The Department will be pleased to have you apply to the British ambassador at Constantinople for the necessary authorization for the vice-consul to use his good offices for Americans in his jurisdiction, and to secure vizierial directions sent to the governor-general at Bitlis to recognize such good offices. ALVEY A. ADEE, I am, etc., Acting Secretary. No. 282.] Mr. Eddy to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED States, SIR: Referring to the correspondence exchanged between the Department and this legation, and particularly to the Department's instraction No. 228 of August 27, ultimo, in relation to the protection of American interests at Bitlis by the British vice-consul there, I have the honor to state that I have received from the ministry of foreign affairs the customary ministerial letter recognizing him in this capacity, and I have this day transmitted same to the British ambassador, Sir Nicholas O'Conor, who has already authorized the official above mentioned to use his good offices for Americans in his jurisdiction. I have, etc., SPENCER EDDY. FRICTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES MINISTER AND THE GRAND VIZIER. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, August 7, 1902. (Mr. Leishman reports that a number of matters on which the minister for foreign affairs had taken favorable action, and so officially notified him during the past few months, have been countermanded or annulled by the grand vizier, who has repeatedly declined to see Mr. Leishman, a courtesy which is always extended to even the dragomans of the embassies; that no personal feeling could possibly enter into the matter, as the grand vizier has been in office only a few months and Mr. Leishman has seen him but once, when he called to pay his respects and extend congratulations upon the grand vizier's appointment. In order to exhaust every effort Mr. Leishman again called this date (August 7) upon the grand vizier, but was again refused a reception. He then called upon the minister for foreign affairs and demanded an audience with the Sultan, at the same time requesting the minister to acquaint His Imperial Majesty with the nature of the business. Mr. Leishman requests that, unless this audience with the Sultan is granted and not only the questions at issue but the principles involved in them are satisfactorily settled, he be given permission to demand his passports; and states that it would be worse than useless and derogatory to the dignity of the United States Government to continue relations with the Sublime Porte if, after weeks and even months of hard and patient work, business which has been fully settled with the minister for foreign affairs is to be rendered unavailing by the grand vizier's conflicting and countermanding orders.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman reports that the Sultan has expressed, through the private secretary, the wish that Mr. Leishman would overlook the dis courtesy shown him, on the ground that the grand vizier is an old man and not feeling well, and call on the grand vizier on August 12. Mr. Leishman has felt compelled to firmly but politely refuse to comply with this wish, on the ground that, although such a course might perhaps result in the settlement of some of the immediate questions at issue, it would, under present conditions, neither be compatible with the dignity of the Government of the United States nor settle the important principles involved; for, unless agreements which have been concluded between Mr. Leishman and the minister for foreign affairs are to be respected, it would be both undignified and useless for the representative of a great power such as the United States to attempt to prosecute its business through such a powerless intermediary. Mr. Leishman expresses the conviction that good results will ensue from his firm stand.) (Mr. Adee suggests that, the Sultan having arranged for Mr. Leishman to meet the grand vizier, it may be best to see him and strongly insist upon adherence to agreements between Mr. Leishman and the minister for foreign affairs.) (Mr. Leishman states that the emigration of wives and minor children of Ottoman origin is only one of the questions that have been settled with the minister for foreign affairs, but rendered inoperative by action of the grand vizier, who, when Mr. Leishman called to attempt to adjust the difficulties, declined, on four successive occasions, to receive him; that other questions are such as stopping completion of American mission buildings at Harput, for which official permit had been granted; failure to surrender policies of the New York Life Insurance Company seized at Tchoroun, etc., all of which the minister for foreign affairs notified Mr. Leishman had been settled and orders issued putting them into execution. Finding that these orders were ignored, Mr. Leishman, before assuming his present position, went through the farce of again taking up the matter and having fresh orders issued, with same results. Mr. Leishman states that there are other annoying cases pending, the settlement of a number of which will probably result from action |