Evening star., 1896-04-11
TURKEY BROKE FAITH
Her Promises Not Kept in Mission
ary Knapp's Case.
BRITISH Vice CONSUL INTERPRETERS
Prevented the Americans ExpuI-
sion Some Time Ago.
MOVES DIRECTED BY RUSSIA

CoNSTANTINOPLE. April n.-Although
the turkish government has officially an
nounced that the missionaries in Asia Min
CT will not be expelled SO long as they
comply With the laws" it becomes more
and more apparent, as facts leak out, that
the Rev. George p. Knapp, one of the
American missionaries at Bitlis. has been
expelled, III spite Of the understanding in
his case arrived at between United States
Minister Terrell and the Turkish govern
ment. after it had proposed to try Mr..
Knapp on the charge of irciting Armenians
to revolt against the government.
Almost daily negotiations on the subject
take place betw cen the United States
charge d'affaires, Mr.. Riddle and the Turk
Ism minister for foreign affairs, but the
matter is still unsettled and seems to be as
suming Graver aspect as time passes
Ihe Turkish government, however has not
made any official statement regarding the
part taken in the affair by the local an
thorities of Bitls, although the official note
has teen issued denying that Mr. Knapp is
imprisoned at Diarbekir
Verbal explanations however. have been
forthcoming from the porte but the friends
or the missionaries do not consider these
explanations to be in any way satisfactory
Besides, 1t Is stated today on good au-
ceived an order some time ago from a high
quarter to expel Mr.. Knapp, and it Is add
ed that 1t is highly probable that an order
would have been carried out long before
the missionary was compelled to leave mis-
post had it rot bean for the arrival at
Moosh of the British vice consul. Mr.
Hanson.
The latter interested himself in the case
OF the missionary, examined into the
charges brought against him, pronounre1
them to be entirely groundless and so in
formed the United States minister. who
thereupen insisted that Mr.. Knapp should
f pe tried IN his presence at Constantinople
Eventually it was agreed between the Turk
1sh government and Mr.. Terrell that Mr..
Knapp should leave Bitlis when the state
OF the roads permitted, or about the end
of April" Gnu
The missionary. however was forced by
the authorities of Bitlis to leave his nost
tefore April /. when the roads were so
bad that his family were unable to accom-
or near Alexandretta, and it is further
stRted that the United States minister was
Eot informed, as 1t was agreed that he
should be. of the expulsion Of the Ameri-
can missionary from Bitlis
The missionaries place little faith In the
assurances of the porte that 1t is not in
tended to expel them from Asia Minor.
Some pretext for their expulsion, they be-
ieve, will be found whenever the porte
deems 1t necessary. Such charge as con-
Spring against the government is easily
n ade and can be established to the satis-
faction of Turkish official looking for an
opportunity to condemn a Christian.
The future of the missionaries depends
upon Russia, ard it is upon that govern
ment. not the Turkish, that influence
should be brought to bear in order to pro-
tect the lives and property of the mission
aries. The sultan is little more than a
puppet in the hands of the czar, and it is
to the latter that the governments of the
missionaries must turn in this emergency
But will the car renounce his intention
to Russia1ize Asia Minor? That is a question
which the missionaries are now anxiously
asking themselves.