New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-04
RELATIONS WITH THE PORTE
GENERAL WALLACE CARRIES HIS POINT
DISPUTE OVER TARIFF TREATIES.
IrRoM THE nrGUIAR COMMANDMENT OF TilB TRIBUNE
N-1IN

duct toward the Grand NlAeT' ihcsc 'clN si'i'.''
dated sometimes in this city and sometimes IN
Athens. merely SET forth the gentle iances OF some
nnoccupiod mind We who live under the shadow
of the Sublime Porte have heard of no such demand
Not a single city newspaper has limited al any such
dissatisfaction with General Wallaces course Of &C
tion In fact the indications all point TO quite gen
oral approval OF the firm and dignllicd attitude
assumed toward the Grand ViZier by the United
States Minister. The Turkish Government has re-
ceiyed pretty trustworthy information that Cen
eral Wallace in making his peremptory call for At
tention to American grievances, acted under post
tive orders from Washington. II is Eow the tax OIL
the that couple of weeks after the incident
at the Grand Viziel's office Of the Sultans aocs
took message quite like an apology to the lnitea
States legation together with an invitation which
led 10 two friendly visits 20 the Sultan on the part
of General Wallace Naturally IT Is hard 10 nave
accurate reports Of what occurs at private inter
views with royalty. but it is pretty generally as
serted that the Sultan showed special attention 10
General Wallace. and volunteered the sug-
res,on that care has brought the Grand NHeTs
nerves to state that invites the charity OF those
who have 70 deal with that high functionary.
Since then the Turks have vouchsafed an amount
of attention to the demands of the United states
Government which couid have been gained by no
other means than those applied. Yet there is move
ment only-no positive action in the way OF redress
for the unnghted wrongs. In the case of Messrs
Knapp and Reynolds the Porte reports vigorous
measures in progress for the arrest OF the we'll
knowi Kourdish Bey by whom these gentlemen
were robbed. The English Consul at Van has how
ever informed his Ambassador here that the local
authorities are doing all they 10 thwart investi-
CATION 1t is said that the Governor received $1,000
from the interested parties TO help him to see his way
clear to release the alleged criminal. Since General
Wallace induced the Porte TO send new orders Tor
the arrest of the young Bey the Governor of Van
has seen fit TO beTate Dr. Reynolds for disturbing
the peace by reporting the fnactOn OF the
authorities. The father OF Moosa Bey the suthor
Of the attack Mcssrs Reynolds and Knapp. a
week or two ago appeared at BltIis with $1,000 ih
cash and about thousand pounds of fresh butter
destined to soften Mr.. Knapps heart toward Moosa
The Governor of the city. however, intercepted the
sagaclous old Kourd and put end TO his officons
attempt at \ compromise. These little indications
show that if the United States Government does not
relax lis demand for the trial OF the guilty Bey JUS
tcc may be done after another year OF so of delay.
Tie petroleum question has also been taken up
again by the Porte. The petroleum case relates TO
All illegal imPost laid upon American petroleum
under cover of municipal order TO its storage at
a distance from town The exclusive right TO store
petroleum was given TO a Turkish man-of-straw,
who after collecting two or three times the usual
rate of storage was TO hand over liberal per cent
TO the Government u hus giving the Treasury rev.
enue nearly double the percent impOSt authorized
by treaty. This interesting arrangement has been
in force under protest for more than year, TO the
great satisfaction Of the Turks and the equal dis
gust of the importers The Turks have not yet
mastered the idea which Lord DuheIn lately had
occasion to present 10 them i'll connection with
another casc--that the modification of an existing
treaty cannot be brought about by one of the con
lao mt tod
States Legation after waiting year for the Porte
10 re-examiDe the question. forced 10 notify
the authorities that unless the Illegal excess of the
storage dues is abolished American importers will
be authorized TO store their own petroleum. To
this the Porte Is preparing reply. II holds that
the customs treaty under which the mpOst on
petroleum is fixed at per cent is to expire on
June ncxt. Hence il judges that the Amer can
Government has need TO make sucha fuss over
the violation Of a tariff so soon to be void.
This raises tie whole question Of the tarif and
the treaties of commerce. The theory with the
ancient Turks a. to customs duties was that q
Government shoud rely for revenue upon its own
subjects Poor wretches OF foreigners who are de-
prived Of the blessing Of the shadow of the Sultan
cannot in Justice lac asked to pay such dues as those
who rest under protection Of the SUltan's power.
Moreover the ancient legislators felt that foreign
goods should be encouraged 10 stock the market.
Hence the rates 81 0utN were originally very llEIi
There was no love OF free trade in this nor false
views on the blessings Of protective tariffs. There
was simply utter ignorance Of financial science.
The sole object of specifying BY treaty rate OF
duty was to check the rapaeity OF individual
collectors The ancient view OF the relation of tnc
Custom House 10 the general revenue ruled Turk
isb finance long after the beginning Of the present
century Financial advisers imported from abroad
of late years have advised an increase Of duties on
imports and a decrease of taxes on home pro
ductions Tho impecuuious Turks have sagely de
cidcd TO increase both. Heavy taxes are land on
every art Gle produced in the country. that the
farmer or mechanic can hope for no profit beyond
his daily dry bread The revenue TINS derived is
10 be augmented by doubling or trcbng Of the
duties on imports. Hence the Porte has denounced
the commercial treaties with the various Powers as
fast as they fall ~.
All the Powers readily agreed in principle. TO
the proposed ia the taIi6, but none OF The
Powers is willing accept the higher rate of duties
until the last OF the per cent treaties fails ill., The
Turks however are like the boy who when he
wants thing wants it ;lwfully. and they insist on
introducing the tarif al once. All the Powers
stand OF the ia ored nation clauscs of the capula
tiops and politely decline 20 pay more than per
cent. Germany agrees 10 give mp her treaty which
il good until 1890. a constant state OF exaceTba-
ton at the Porte and at all the Embassies Is the re-
suit Seven varieties of the sane question arc con-
stantly in tho process of presentation to the Porte
The nervousness of the Grand NizieT mnst be
largely ascribed TO the demands made upon his in
penuity for variety IN the form Of the seven new
answers which have to be made every ti,ue pre-
yious series has been disposed Of by the hard and
s0uless gaours.
This treaty question IL discussed Oh a curious liae
with the United States Legation. by the terms of
the commercial treaty the Porte was obliged TO give
notice of intention to end the treaty year before
the end Of its term. If it failed to denounce the
L L