[Inclosure 3.] Mr. Leishman to Mr. Peet. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I am just in receipt of the joint letter of Mr. Post and yourself, dated March 3, in regard to the demand which has been made for the imperial recognition of American educational, charitable, and religious institutions in Turkey. The suggestions contained in your letter (being practically a copy of the French demands) have already been incorporated in the demand submitted by the legation to the Sublime Porte, and although the list of American institutions prepared by Doctor Post and yourself was finally submitted to the Porte in accordance with estab lished precedent, care was taken by the legation to protect as far as possible the settlement of the question in principle. Every effort is being made to secure the realization of your utmost desires and also a prompt settlement, but possibly the Ottoman Government may set up the claim that the legation is asking for more than what has been conceded to the French and · other embassies, in which event, should the claim prove to be well founded, the American Government may not consider itself warranted in supporting a demand for more than that has been accorded to others. One thing, however, you may rest assured of, and that is that the American Government will not accept less than what has been granted to similar institutions of other nations. I am, etc. No. 320.] Mr. Loomis to Mr. Leishman. JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 359, of the 18th ultimo, inclosing copy of your note requesting an audience with the Sultan to present the President's message respecting the Medical College at Beirut, and relative to the settlement of pending questions between the legation and the Sublime Porte. Your action in pressing for a prompt and favorable decision in regard to these questions is approved. I am, etc., FRANCIS B. LOOMIS, Acting Secretary of State. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, March 21, 1903. (Mr. Leishman reports that no date has yet been fixed for audience, and inquires what action the Department wishes him to take.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman states that he felt compelled during an interview with the grand vizier and the minister for foreign affairs to-day to intimate quite plainly that further delay could not be tolerated, as he found traces of considerable apathy owing to the fact that the weight of his efforts had been considerably neutralized by the statement made to the Sublime Porte by the Turkish minister at Washington, based on an alleged interview with the President and Mr. Hay, to the effect that owing to certain explanations made by the Turkish minister no great urgency for audience exists.) No. 378.] Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I beg to confirm cablegram sent you this day in regard to audience with the Sultan in order to present the President's message. As I have already advised the Department, I do not believe the delay has been caused by any discourteous intent, but merely with a view to avoid discussing business, as it is quite certain that an audience would be cheerfully granted if the business which I am pressing at the Porte was out of the way. As I gave the minister for foreign affairs a very broad hint that the limit of patience had been reached and that unless prompt action was taken he would be apt to hear from me in the course of a very few days in a more pronounced and emphatic manner, I am inclined to believe that a definite date for audience will be promptly fixed, and in the meantime every effort will be made to adjust pending questions, so that I will have thanks instead of demands to present to the Sultan. I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. Mr. Hay to Mr. Leishman. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, (Mr. Hay states that he has impressively informed the Turkish minister of the displeasure and amazement of the President at the manner in which his minister's request for an audience with the Sultan has been treated.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, April 3, 1903. (Mr. Leishman reports that he to-day had the honor of presenting, in private audience, the personal message of the President to His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, who requested Mr. Leishman to assure the President that his requests would receive personal consideration and that instructions would be issued to the proper departments to expedite matters.) Mr. Hay to Mr. Leishman. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 4, 1903. (Mr. Hay states that the audience granted by the Sultan and the assurances given to Mr. Leishman are gratifying.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. No. 387.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I beg to confirm cablegram announcing audience with the Sultan. Late on Thursday night I received a verbal communication from the minister for foreign affairs to the effect that His Imperial Majesty would receive me the next day after the ceremony of Salamlik, but on condition that I would not discuss business. Early the next morning I visited the minister for foreign affairs at his house and informed him that I could not accept an audience with such a condition attached, as the object of the interview was to present a personal message from the President, and at the same time bring certain matters to the personal attention of His Imperial Majesty which the United States Government was desirous of having settled, and that the only concession I could make would be to agree that after presenting the demands I would not attempt to enter into any discussion. And the audience was arranged for on this basis. I then proceeded to the palace, and after waiting for nearly five hours I was finally admitted. The Sultan, after his return from the mosque, was first compelled to successively receive the Austrian, Russian, and English ambassadors. * * * Besides the general school matter, I submitted the questions of emigration, excavations, insurance, and prohibition of American pork, and I can only hope that the matters will be favorably acted upon and Imperial orders issued to put them into execution. I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. No. 389.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Referring to my audience with the Sultan, while I have nothing absolute to report I was informed to-day by the minister for foreign affairs, during a personal interview, that immediately after the audience His Imperial Majesty had given orders to finish the different matters as quickly as possible. The school question is the most difficult, as it is necessary to first secure official confirmation of the list, which requires correspondence with many distant vilayets, and it is much more of a task to check up the 300 American institutions than it was to verify the 10 or 12 in the case of the Germans and Italians. Trusting I may be able to report a definite settlement of the different matters at an early date, I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. No. 419.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Although it is close on to two months since I received His Imperial Majesty's promise that the general school and other matters would be promptly settled, no conclusion has yet been reached, except upon the question of removing the prohibition on pork. * * * As far as the school question is concerned the delay so far could not be regarded as unreasonable, as it requires considerable time to investi gate the large number of institutions located in all parts of the Empire, and I know from the reports received through the consulates and the missionaries that the different valis received telegraphic instructions from the Porte to investigate and make their reports at the earliest date possible, a number of which having already reached Constantinople. The question of securing the right for Doctor Banks to make excavations near Bagdad has been particularly troublesome as besides the fact that no real right exists, except an acquired one based upon the Sultan's promise. I have never experienced so much difficulty or as many annoyances in getting even the most difficult matter settled; all I can do is to refuse to listen to the numerous objections raised and stolidly maintain the position that, having the promise of His Imperial Majesty, no obstacles can be permitted to stand in the way. The emigration of the wives and minor children of naturalized American citizens seems to be progressing very favorably, and I do not anticipate any great amount of trouble in getting all off for whom mission has been requested. One case at Bitlis has developed, where permission has been granted to Mrs. Saroyan, who is unable to take advantage of the privilege for the present, as the funds which were originally sent to cover her expenses were ordered to be returned by the sender some months ago. per JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. Mr. Hay to Mr. Leishman. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your No. 419, of the 21st ultimo, in which you report the progress made in the settlement of various questions pending with the Turkish Government, has been received. I regret especially to note that the school question still remains unadjusted and that the Government is postponing a friendly settlement until reports are received which may be indefinitely delayed. FR 1903-48 You will recall that on February 2 last 1 sent you an urgent telegraphic instruction to communicate a personal message from the President to the Sultan on this subject, in which a demand was made that American citizens and institutions should be granted the same privileges given to France in November, 1901, and later conceded to Russia, Germany, and other nations. The object of this somewhat unusual method of communication was to impress the Turkish Government with the deep interest which the President felt in this question, in the confident expectation that it would bring about an early acquiescence in the reasonable demand made by him. Much of the force of the message was lost by the delays interposed by the Porte in its delivery and the conditions attached to the manner of its presentation. It is possible also that the presentation of a number of other matters at the same audience may have detracted somewhat from the special importance which the President sought to attach to it. The conduct of the negotiations on the subject has been left to your discretion. It may be that it would have been wiser to have followed the course which at first occurred to you of securing a definite acknowledgment of the principle of equal treatment, as indicated in your dispatch No. 370, of March 7 last; but having selected the other method of filing a list of the institutions and schools, the Turkish Government should not be allowed, if possible to prevent it, to make that a pretext for delay. I can not add anything to the language of the telegraphic instruction of February 2 to express the interest felt by our Government in the early settlement of the matter. I may state, however, that the President was surprised at the manner in which his message was delayed and the little influence it seems thus far to have had, and he relies upon your earnestness and sound discretion in bringing this long-pending question to an early and satisfactory conclusion. I am, etc., JOHN HAY. No. 444.] Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I beg to inclose herewith copy of two notes which I have found necessary to address to the Sublime Porte respecting the school and other matters, for which the legation has been pressing for settlement for some time past. There is not the slightest indication of an antagonistic feeling existing against putting these matters into execution, either upon the part of the Palace or the Porte, and if the numerous promises and statements can be relied upon, the different matters will be favorably acted upon as soon as the strained and congested state of affairs will permit. The difficulties experienced by the legation of late in securing action upon even the most trifling and unimportant matter are shared alike by all the foreign missions, and the fact that the unsettled business at present in the hands of the legation is not of a serious or necessarily urgent character only renders it more difficult to obtain a settlement, as practically everything must be submitted to the Sultan, who is, in consequence of the present system, greatly overworked, and very |