Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-03

part to obtain better information concern
ing the true condition of affairs in the dis
| turbed quarter of the Ottoman Empire, by
sending thither the United States consul al
| Sivas to make investigation and report,
was thwarted by the objections of the
| Turkish Government This movement on
our part was in no sense meant as a gratui.
tcus ENHANCEMENT of the United States in
the so-called Eastern question, nor as an
off1cicious interference with the right and
duty which belong by treaty to certain
| great European powers, calling for their in
| PREVENTION in political matters affecting the
| good government and religious freedom OF
the non Mussulman subjects Of the sultan,
but it arose solely from our desire to have
ar accurate knowledge of the conditions in
| our efforts to care for those entitled to OH
protection.
| The presence of our naval vessels which
are now in the vicinity of the disturbed
| localities affords opportunities to acquire
| measure of familiarity with the condition
| OF affairs, and will enable us to take suit
able steps for the protection of any inter-
| ests Of cur countrymen within reach of our
ships that might be found imperiled.
The Ottoman Government has lately is
| sred an imperial trade exempting forever
| from taxation an American college for
| girls at Scutari. Repeated assurances have
also been obtained by our envoy at Con-
stantinople that similar institutions main
tanned and administered by our country
! men shall be secured in the enjoyment of
all rights. and that our citizens throughout
| the Empire shall be protected.
The Government however, in view of ex-
isting facts is far from relying upon such
dur,
minister has been vigilant and alert in af-
| fording all possible protection in individual
| cases where danger threatened or safety
| was imperiled. We have sent ships as far
| toward the points of actual disturbance
| as it is possible for them to go, where they
| offer refuge to those obliged to flee, and We
| have the promise of other powers which
| have ships in the neighborhood that our
citizens, as well as theirs, will be received
and protected on board those ships On the
| demand of our minister. orders have been
| issued by the Sultan that Turkish soldiers
| shall guard and escort to the coast Amerl-
can refugees.
| These orders have been carried out, and
| our latest intelligence gives assurance of
| the present personal safety of our citizens
| and missionaries. Though thus far no lives
of American citizens have been sacrificed,
|
destruction of mission property rave re-
suited from riotous conflicts and outra geous
| attacks.
| By treaty several of the most powerful
European powers have secured right and
have assumed duty not only in behalf of
their own citizens and in furtherance of
| their own interests, but as agents of the
| Christian world. Their right is to enforce
| such conduct of Turkish government as
| will restrain fanatical brutality, and if this
| fails their duty is to so interfere as to in
| sure against such dreadful occurrences in
| Turkey as have lately shocked civilization.
| The powers declare this right and this duty
| to be theirs alone, and it is earnestly hoped
| that prompt and effective action on their
part will not be delayed
| The new consulates at Ezeroum AMI Har-
| poot for which appropriation was made
| last session, have been Professionally filled
| by trusted employees of the Department of
State. These appointees. though now in
| Turkey. have not yet received heir ex-
| equaturs.
The arbitration of the claim OF the Ven
ezuela Steam Transportation Com,any I'M
der the treaty of January 10. 1892, between
| the United States and enezuela, resulted
| in an award in favor of the claimant.
| The government has used its good offices
| toward composing the differences between
| Venezuela on the one hand and France aud
| Belgium on the other, growing out of the
| dismissal of the representatives of those
powers on the ground Of publication Deem
ed offensive to Venezuela. Although that
| dismissal was coupled with a cordial re-
quest that other more personally agreeable
! ENJOYS be sent in their stead, rupture of
intercourse ensued, and still continues.
/ The Consular Service.
| In view of the growth of our interests in
foreign countries and the encouraging pros
Pects for a general expansion of our COM
| merce. the question of an improvement in
the consular service has increased in i'm
portance and urgency. Though there is no
| doubt that the great body Of consular Off
GERS are rendering valuable services to the
trade and industries of the country, the
reed of some plan Of appointment and con-
troll which would tend to secure a higher
average of efficiency can not be denied.
The Importance of the subject has led the
! Executive to consider what steps might
| properly be taken without additional legis-
| lation to answer the need of a better system
| of consular appointments. The matter hav-
| irg been committed to the consideration of
! the Secretary of State, in pursuance of his
| recommendations, an Executive order was
issued en- the Goth of September, 1895, by
the terms Of which 1t is provided that after
that date any vacancy in a consulate OF
commercial agency with an annual salary
or compensation from official fees of not
more than $500 or less than $1,000 should
be filled either by transfer or promotion from
| some other position under the Department
| of State of character tending to qualify
the incumbent for the position to be filed
| or by the appointment of a person not under
the Department of State, but having pre-
| viousy served Hereunder and shown his
capacity and fitness for consular duty, or
| by the appointment of person who, having
been selected by the President and sent to a
| board for examination, is found. upon such
examination. to be qualified for the position
Posts which pay less than 81 coo being usu-
! ally, on account of their small compensa-
ton, filled by selection from residents OF
| the locality, 1t was not deemed practicable
to put them under the new system.
The compensation of $500 was adopted as
| the maximum limit in the classification for
the reason that consular officers receiving