New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-01
The Metropolitan Telephone 6 Telegraph Company
IS CORTLANDT ST.
AMERICAN MAIL IN TURKEY
MISSIONARIES COMPLAIN THAT 1T Is
OPENED AND INSPECTED

AN ABUSE or AUTHORITY BY THE sULTAN's CEN
soR WHICH HAS CAUSED ENDLESS TROUBLE
HOW THE ENGLISH AND GERMAN GOVERN
MENTs HAVE DEALT WITH IT.
The American Board OF Commissioners for For
eign Missions complain bitterly that mail sent 10
the missionaries Of that organization In the TURKISH
empire Is not delivered and that 1t Is seldom that
any communication Is sent which Is not tanperel
with by Turkish officials. especially in the case OF
newspapers and periodicals. In statement on the
subject the board says: THE mails are certainly
interrupted by Turkish officials and in such way
that 1t is Impossible to tell what has been or VIII
be- opened At one station but two Missionary
Heralis' have been received in eight months. No
reports Of the annual meeting Of the board for the
last year have reached it, The American boaru
Almanac for 1895 has not been del!v'red.
Such q the condition Of affairs there. the state
ment says that many Of our missionaries DO not
dare to write half they know OF the state OF things
I'm Turkey Surely. there ought to b. some power
I'm our Go yernment to give American cl'l"e"s !"
Turkey the right to receive their mail
The abuse Is one OF long standing. and Is by no
means confined 10 mail matter intended for Am"r-
can missionaries Every European nation mas SUI
fered from H. and several OF them hay" been forced
., reeorf to the most drastic methods of overcoming
the evil methods which are insulting TO the lurK-
ish government and which could not be employer
against any but a semi bar barous Power. The plan
adopted j. nothing less than the establishment o
foreign postofilcc departments within the turkish
empire: the British Government ana IN" 'efiI'd'l
Government. for example each support i poS'l
autonomy within the Sultans realm NAH gong
TO Turkey from either England or Germany Is sent
InclosoI In sealed sacks to the English or German
postoficc In Constantlnope. There 1t is hanHied
and delivered by the employees Of the Government
by which il was Forwarded. The officials OF the
Turkish Government thus never have even an OPP
portun!ty 70 tamper with H.
In the ease OF matter intended Tor INTERIOR
points. whore these foreign postofce systems do
mot extend. the mail Is forwarded in sacks through
the Turkish postoffcc under the British or German
seal 10 the consular official nearest the point OF
destination and by him delivered TO the persons TO
whom II Is addressed
Mall matter sent from Turkey TO points In Eng
land or Germany Is handled In the same manner
Roth Governments keep their own stamps on sale
I'm Turkey and letters are deposited dIcctN III
the boxes owned and controlled by foreign nations
When this system was first pat into operation the
stamps were sold a. the nearest equivalent to their
face value in Turkish money This happ"nel 10
be- slightly less nan ne r'at Ean" %, Here
not slow IN discovering means, o, prom III ,'u
fact and large quantities OF hngllSh ana yer an
sale This stamp shaving, business has now
been stopped BY the simple dey'e o' 3,rn ~ the
stamps which arr thus rendered useless Cuisine ol
the Turkish Empire. 49,. -. 9,
mar With the facts as here sc forth 2byaIG rne
hv addressing their letters and other man mater
intended FOR devety in TuTkey VIA onII 1 the no.,
cioscl mall" II IS then put into The regular BRIT
in mail and delivered through The British post
"hrnce 70 tampcr with H. Mall matter not 50 IN
dorset Is forwarded IN tho open man 10y we mos
sign-l 10 The Turkish Governmental Pos,oiice FOR
delivery Then the censor gets In H. me WORN