The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-02
THE SULTANS CONCESSION.
RIGHTS OF NATURALISED oITIsENs
TO BE RESPECTED.

The New Turkish Nrinistsr In~straetsa 20
Negotiate = Treaty Giving the Same
Protectton In Turkey 20 n Naturaltsed
as 60 n Native.bcrn American Citissn.
WAsHINoToN. Nov. 1.-The announcement In
The Sun that Secretary Olney had forced the
Sultan OF Turkey to negotiate q treaty with the
United States which will insure To Americans
Of Armenian or Turkish birth the protection OF
the flag when they return temporarily to the
land Of their nativity, IL generally regarded 40
al important international event and an adj
vance toward civilized practices. which doubt
less had lts origin in motives not appearing on
the surface. The now Minister who succeeds
MavroyeDi Bsy has come with Instructions to
enter upon the negotiation of the proposed
treaty, and to make all reasonable concessions
this Government may demand. Either the
Sultan is afraid OF the consequences II he per-
slsts In his refusal to recognize the right Of his
subjects to renounce Turkish allegiance. or he
hopes By granting the concession to avoid COM
pllance with other demands which he foresees
will be forthcoming from this Government.
The effect OF such q treaty will be to permit
Americans who were formerly Turkish subjects
TO enter Turkish dominions and freely pass
from point to point. II they hold American pas
rorts. and they will receive the same treatment
as II they were native Americans. provided that
they left no obligation to the Turkish Govern
ment unfulflled at the time of their emigration.
Al present n Turkish subject coming to this
country and remaining here continuously for
Ave years may, after he has declared his inten-
tion to do so. become o citizen of the United
States upon taking the necessary oaths before q
court OF record. He stands upon the same foot
ing as any other allen. and has tho right
Of naturalization which our law extends
to all except people OF tho Monaghan race.
A ftnr ~ La. ha.np,a an tnAri,an nfttvan lfa
standing Ia the Same for nearly all purposes as
II he had been born here. He is entitled. upon
proving his citizenship, to receive n United
States passport, and he may go all over the
world, IL his errand Ia u lawful one. and de-
mand the protection Of this Government wher-
ever he may bo-except in Turkey. At the
frontier of tho Turkish dominions he Is met by
Turkish officials. and IL his nativity Is detected,
and he bears no papers showing that tho Sultan
gave him permission to become an American
citizen. he is not permitted to enter the land of
his birth. II he does succeed, by some means or
other. in effecting an entrance. when his pres
ence becomes known, he Is liable to be thrown
into jail. fined. and punished.
1t is at this stage that he appeals to the Amer
lean Minister. but how far he can be protected
10 a problem which has not yet been solved.
There Il an article of the treaty of 1880. now in
force between this Government and Turkey.
which provides in terms that United States
Ministers ard Consuls shall have Jurisdiction
over Americansin Turkey who are charged with
criminal offences. and that they shall not be
imprisoned by the Turkish authorities. but this
article. Turkey has claimed for many years. 10
q differentiation. and that this extra territorial
power does not properly belong to the agents
Of the United States. Consequently the
Turkish authorities do imprison American
citizens. and especially those OF Armenian
birth. Secretary Olney, through Minister Ter
rell, has always intsrposed in these cases.
contending that 1t makes no difference
whether the prisoner is a native-born or natu-
rallied citizen; his rights are the Same under
American law. That Turkey has . right to ex-
clude Americans who were formerly Turkish
subjects from entering Turkish dominions he
has not denied. nor that they may be expelled
fair treatment while they are in the empire.
Several instances of imprisonments within
the last two years have occurred in which Mr..
Olney interposed vigorous protests. Madiros
Mooraoian, OF Armenian birth and q naturaiizcd
American citizen. went TO Constantinople bear
suspicion of being a member ofths HuntchaTuist
Arnenians in this country and England. Papers
were found In his possession tsnding TO prove
committee no overt act against Turkish author
ity. Minister Terrell demanded his instant lib
Mr.. Terrell until he could be sent out OF the
country. and three days later he sailed for
Another case was that of Meleoun Guedjian.a
young Armenian. who was naturalized at Bos.
s sSn, and f iS'' :Tp a1Rsy. 'f as s9ib = p.s'P Son,n ana
to land him secretly at Alexandretta and
get out for the interior on h9rsebsek;
the mountains he wa. robbed Of. his horse. and
lodged a com plant. representing himself to DO
an Englishman. Upon Investigating his case the
also that he had started for Turkey with n band
OF men who were said to be revolutionists. He
pr,soned az Hleppo' The unitea state. Consul
lar agent at that place was not permitted to see
him or TO inspect his passport, and without
notice OF his trial to any representative OF this
Government. he was convicted and sentenced to
10l years imprisonment
Olney instructed Minister Terrell TO notify the
Porte that Guedjian's trial was In violation Of
international rights, and that all the proceed
inRs must be set aside. The Grand Vizier of the
Sultan accordingly ordered that the prisoner be
Aleppo continued to refuse to permit the United
States consular agent to visit him. II WAS not
until a peremptory demand was made; coupled
with q threat OF Immediate hostile action II It
was not attended TO. that GeudjiRn was brought
to Constantinople and handed over to Minister
to America. The men who robbed him have
never received punishment as far as Is known.
1t is not only Americans Of Armenian birth
who have suffered. George Wobber. q Grrman-
American, dleu IN a TURKISH aatl through III
treatment and neglect. Mr.. Terrall investi-
gated the case. and sums IT. up In his despatch
to tbs State Department as follows:
The essential and ! fear the only facts to be
obtained are that Weber. a naturalized Ameri-
can of German origin. was arrested In the in
terror of Asia Minor while going on foot to
Jerusalem: that he was confined in u dungeon
without being charged with any specific offence;
taken from It and conveyed. chained 10 two
suspected Europeans, to Brusa. where we have
died the night after his arrival in jail and with
out medical attendance"
1t is true that the privileges claimed by our
Government for Its citizens of foreign birth are
greater than those demanded by the great nA-
tons of Europe. France. Germany, Russia, aud
European powers generally hold to the rule that
no alien may be admitted to become n citizen OF
the state by naturalization except upon produce