Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED States, (Mr. Leishman reports that he has made proper representations to the Sublime Porte with reference to the assassination of the United States vice-consul at Beirut, but pending the reception of fuller details and also of instructions from the Department, he has made no demands other than asking for investigation and explanation, which the minister for foreign affairs assures will be given immediate attention.) Mr. Loomis to Mr. Leishman. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 27, 1903. (Mr. Loomis states that the fact of Vice-Consul Magelssen being a native citizen of the United States makes the case extremely grave, and instructs Mr. Leishman to press his representations vigorously, demanding instant correction of any hesitancy or inefficiency of local authorities. Mr. Loomis adds that failure of justice in this case would deepen the painful impression already caused by Turkish indifference to our just demands in other matters.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman reports that he has just received word from the minister for foreign affairs stating that the reported assassination of the United States vice-consul at Beirut is entirely false, and adding that security in the Beirut district is perfect. Mr. Leishman is without further advices from the consul at Beirut and is unable to account for such conflicting statements. He will report further as soon as he can obtain necessary information.) Mr. Loomis to Mr. Leishman. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT of State, (Mr. Loomis states that the United States European Squadron has been ordered to Beirut.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, August 28, 1903. (Mr. Leishman reports that Vice-Consul Magelssen was not shot; that the affair was only an attempted assassination; that the consul's telegram reporting the matter was in error, caused by the use of the wrong code; that the consul has just sent the following telegram: "Vice-consul not assassinated; shot at, ball passing close. Governor called last evening offering profuse regrets. Due to your action governor will now act; earnestly endeavor to find and punish would-be assassin. Several consulates have reported to their Governments unsafe condition of city at present moment. Outrage involving consular officer may bring reform.") Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman reports that the governor at Beirut and the Turkish Government continue to treat the attempted assassination of the United States vice-consul lightly, but that news of the coming of the United States squadron will probably move them to action.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman reports that he has just received the following telegram from Admiral Cotton, dated Geneva, August 30: "Brooklyn and San Francisco sail to-day Beirut. Expect arrive. there Friday. Machias from Port Said yesterday.” Mr. Leishman inquires if the Department wishes him to communicate the above information officially to the Sublime Porte.) Mr. Hay to Mr. Leishman. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 1, 1903. (Mr. Hay states that the United States war ships started for Beirut upon the receipt of news of the assassination of the United States viceconsul, and can not now be stopped; that they will be at Beirut the last of the present week. He asks if Mr. Leishman can not have all pending questions settled before their arrival, and states that he has urged this on the Turkish minister in Washington. Should the indicated arrangement be made, the war ships will make a brief visit and depart whenever Mr. Leishman says they are no longer needed.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman reports that he is satisfied that some of the pending questions between the Governments of the United States and Turkey are receiving active consideration at the palace; that the Sublime Porte is adopting the usual tactics and appears to treat the expected arrival of the United States fleet as a friendly visit, and will no doubt attempt to show the Admiral the same attentions that would ordinarily be extended on a complimentary visit. Mr. Leishman advises patience for the time, awaiting overtures from the other side. Mr. Leishman is of the opinion that a stay of the United States fleet in Turkish waters of reasonable length may have the effect of settling many if not all of the long-standing questions.) Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. No. 548.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, September 4, 1903. SIR: I beg to inclose herewith copy of report made to the consulategeneral by the consul at Beirut in reference to the attempted assassination of Mr. Magelssen. Up to the present time the real culprit has not been arrested, and the farcical arrest of suspects has only been done by the governor with a view of supporting the theory which he advanced, that the shooting was merely the innocent celebration act on the part of some drunken wedding guests. While nothing in the nature of a revolt or insurrection exists in the Beirut district, there is no doubt about the general condition of the city being bad and the police surveillance very lax. Murders, assaults, and robberies are practically a nightly occurrence, and for a long time past it has not been considered safe to walk about at night. The governor bears a bad reputation, and several efforts have been made during the past year to have him removed, but without success, as he is capable although unscrupulous, and has influential friends at the Palace who have so far been able to prevent the demand of several of the ambassadors from being favorably acted upon. I have, etc., JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. [Inclosure 1.] Mr. Randal, consul at Beirut, to Mr. Smith-Lyte, acting consul-general at Constantinople. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, Beirut, August 28, 1903. SIR: I have the honor to report that Vice-Consul Magelssen last Sunday evening was attacked by an unknown person standing under a street gas light near the consulate, who fired at the carriage in which Mr. Magelssen was riding, at such close range that it seemed to Mr. Magelssen as if the whole carriage were ablaze. Nobody was injured, however. Frightened, the horses dashed forward, and before they could be controlled and the carriage stopped the assailant had disappeared. Mr. Magelssen reported the incident at once to the nearest police station, and the next day a complaint was filed with the local authorities. I beg to inclose copy of the vali's reply, also copy of our reply thereto. "Our vice-consul in carriage shot at Sunday evening near consulate by unseen person, obviously in earnest. Reply of governor unsatisfactory. No regrets offered. Situation in city very bad. Murder and robbery common thing. Governor seems indifferent. Yesterday at 5 p. m. the following cipher reply was received from his excellency the minister: "Your telegram reporting the assassination of Vice-Consul Magelssen Sunday night only this day received. Insist in the most vigorous manner upon the governor taking proper measures to arrest murderer and wire me full details. In meantime accept no apology that will commit our Government in any way. "LEISHMAN." Another telegram was received at 1 a. m. to-day, reading as follows: "The imperial minister for foreign affairs states most emphatically that the reported assassination of American vice-consul at Beirut entirely false and that the security of the district is perfect. Telegraph me immediately. Explain the exact situation. "LEISHMAN." At 5 a. m. we received the following cipher telegram from the legation: "Accept no excuse or apology from local authority, as the assassination of a consular agent is too serious a matter to be settled otherwise than through the legation. I have made proper representation to the Porte, but in order to act intelligently it is necessary that I be fully informed in regard to the matter. Telegraph all details in your possession. "LEISHMAN." I was not in the office when the first telegram above referred to arrived, being with my family at Alieh, a Lebanon mountain village, one and one-half hours distant. Mr. Magelssen telegraphed me to come down if possible that night. The telegram reached me at 8.30 p. m. In the meantime the vali's representative (the political director of the vilayet) had appeared in my tent to offer regrets, etc., and I was thus detained until late. Before 6 a. m. the following morning I was on my way to Beirut, and by 9 I was able to send off my reply (in cipher) to the minister's telegrams as follows: "Vice-consul not shot, but shot at. Evident attempt on his life; bullet missed; close call. Governor last evening offered profuse regrets, due to your action. Governor will now act earnestly and endeavor to find and punish would-be murderer. Several consulates have reported to their Governments unsafe condition of city. Present outrage may bring reform. "RAVNDAL." At 4.30 p. m. to-day I received from the legation the following message: "I sent you urgent telegram about 11 o'clock Thursday morning and two others later in the day. It is now 9 o'clock, Friday morning, and I am without any reply. Wire me the exact hour you received these messages, so that I can take necessary steps to correct the trouble. To which I replied as follows: "LEISHMAN." "Your three telegrams concerning attempt on Magelssen's life were received here at 5 p. m. yesterday, at 1 a. m. and at 5 a. m. to-day, respectively. Our reply, marked urgent, was sent at 9 this morning. "RAVNDAL." In my five and one-half years' experience in Beirut, though there have been times when murders and robberies and the like seemed to be the order of the day, the city never before approached the present standard, because foreigners are now affected as well as natives. My Italian colleague the other night was robbed in his own bedroom. No foreigners have been murdered so far this season, but an unusual number of murders have recently occurred among the natives. Beirut is unsafe, and the local government, being implicated with law breakers (smugglers, brigands, etc.), as most people believe, Moslems as well as Christians being compelled to obtain money somehow to satisfy demands from above, is powerless to correct abuses, if not indifferent. If I am correctly informed the German, Austrian, Italian, and British consuls-general here, and most likely other consuls, have reported on these conditions to their embassies very recently. The attack on Mr. Magelssen has stirred the city from center to circumference. It is considered more or less as the climax. Last year as Mr. Magelssen returned from his lunch to the office, between two cactus hedges behind the consulate, he was set upon by two natives, who evidently thought they could hold him up. Instead of submitting to this kind of treatment, Mr. Magelssen hit one of the aggressors in the eye and kicked the other one. We complained to the vilayet and a dozen natives, more or less, were arrested. It is said that one of them was imprisoned, perhaps wrongfully, for the assault and that he was only recently released. Some people think that he was the assailant of last Sunday evening. I improved the opportunity last year and got a police station established near our consulate. We, however, do not know where to put the blame except on the local government, which is so utterly lax as to allow almost any miscreant to pose as the cock of the walk. To-morrow the political director of the vilayet is expected here at our office to look for evidence. He told me last night, after presenting the vali's regrets, that they had heard from the grand vizier, and that although there was a misunderstanding regarding the attack on Mr. Magelssen they were prepared to go to the bottom of things. They were bound to be on friendly terms with the American consulate, etc. The minister's intervention has had a wholesome effect, which is recognized by people generally in Beirut to-day. I do not expect any results from the investigation as far as the Magelssen case is concerned, but I believe the general effect of the minister's vigorous action will prove most gratifying. It may not result in the vali's recall, which is earnestly desired by a large majority of the people of Beirut, but it will probably at least frighten him into a policy of cautious circumspection. Incidentally the political director of the vilayet practically admitted by inference that the arrest of a miserable poor Christian boy of 15, who never owned a pistol in his life, as the one who fired on Mr. Magelssen's carriage was purely perfunctory. I am, etc., G. BIE RAVNDAL, United States Consul. [Subinclosure 1.-Translation.] Vali of the Beirut Vilayet to United States consulate. HIGHLY HONORED AND ESTEEMED SIR: We received your note of August 24, 1903, and upon referring the case to the police department, we received a reply to the effect that while a certain Wadia, son of Youseph, was coming back from a wedding in an intoxicated condition he shot a firearm into the air without any premeditated intention. At any rate the said Wadia has been arrested, and he will be most severely punished (chastised). We seize, etc., RASHID, [Subinclosure 2.] Vali of the Beirut Vilayet. Mr. Magelssen to the Governor-General. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, EXCELLENCY: In reply to your letter of the 11th August, I beg to state that the report submitted to your excellency by the police department appears to me to be |