The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-23
Refuses TO Pay Claims of Americans
For Damages.
BUT ONE THING TO DO
MINISTER ANGEL SUGGESTS
AN ARMED DEMONSTRATION.
But Does Not Know What the Gov
eminent Will Do-Sultan Is a
Shrewd Diplomat, Man of Abil
ity and Absolute Ruler of His
People.

New York Sept. 22-President ]. B. An
gell Of the University of Michigan, who
for more than a year has been United
States minister to Turkey, was among
the passengers on the Teutonic yesterday.
Mr.. Angel, who has been succeeded in
! Turkey by Oscar Strauss, resigned his
position to renew his administration Of
the university of which he is the head
Mr.. Angel was unsuccessful in securing
! the payment of the American claims up
on the Turkish government, but or the
! journey across the Atlantic he was fire.
/ quently in conference with Colonel Hay,
/ and took advantage, undoubtedly, OF the
! opportunity to fully inform the new sec
rotary of state of the situation existing IN
/ Turkey. 1t is well known that it is the
desire of the president that the claims
against the porte shall be settled as
promptly as possible. and the Information
which Mr.. Angel will be able to impart
J to the government will be extremely val
liable in the effort to compel the sultan 10
make good the damages inflicted upon
Americans living in Turkey.
| In the course of a conversation with a
| Tribune reporter, while the Teutonic
was making her, way, up the bay ,. iass
new that l can say regarding the Situa-
| ton in Turkey. Perfect tranquility pre-
vailed while l was there, and no massa-
cres occurred in Armenia nor in the Bal
! kans.''
rs it true that the United States in
| tends to enforce the payment of its claims
! by a demonstration of force? Mr.. An
L have not heard of it, he replied.
I'VE made these claims as cid the other
! powers, for damages inflicted by the
/ Turks upon our missionaries. The sultan,
however, refuses TO recognize these
claims, and denies his responsibility upon
a plea that is unsatisfactory TO the pow
erS and to the United States. Whether
an attempt will be made to collect these
claims by force of arms or demonstra-
ton is a matter for the government alone
to decide. When moral pressure IS
brought to bear upon him the sultan de-
clares that the damages were the result
of a mob riot, and that, therefore, he is
not responsible. Indeed, he has actually
told the European powers that instead OF
making claims against him, he is entitled
to indemnitieS from them. because Eu-
ropeans shot at and killed Turkish SOL
diers from their houses.
AMERICAS CLAIMS.
lone thing 1 would like to lay stress
on and that is that our claims are diff
ferent from the European demands. The
Europeans suffered their damages in
general riot, but our claims for damages
property of the Americans was destroyed.
not in general riot, but by soldiers who
were put TO guard that property and who
We're consequently the agents of the gov
eminent. l placed that view before. the
su N strongly, but the answer he gave
m IS the same as before and he refused
=
cific matters which | laid before him. 1t
seems to me that an armed demonstra-
ton is the only means whereby the Iurk-
ish government can be made to make the
restitution asked for
What will be the OUTCOME or . Gre
tan trorbles?" was asked.
All the powers only wish you could
tell them answered Minister. Angel.
But l notice the sultan is yielding to
their request. Whether Turkey will lose
Crete it is impossible to say now, but if
he g will
to relinouish it.
THE SULTAN'S SHREWDNESS.
While he was in Turkey, Mr.. Angel fire.
quently saw the sultan. Describing him,
he said:
1.-The sultan is a man of decided ability
possesses great ShreWdnesS and plays his
policy well of pitting the jealousy of one
nation against another Every one con-
cedes that he is an able man. He is the
governor of his people and the most ab-
rules; not his cabinet. Since the Greek
war, his power over his subjects has in
creased tremendously He IS considered
by his people TO be the religious head OF
the nation. as well as the head OF the
army. There will he no religious war in
Turkey while the powers are watching.
The sultan has too much cunning to
precipitate trouble. Turkey can be
scarcely called the sick man Of Europe
after the impetus given to the country
by the Greek war. 1t is now possessed Of
a powerful army, fully 100000 we'll
equipped men. They have been drilled TO
modern tactics by German officers and
their weapons are of the most improved
and modern make. The Turkish navy can
best be described as a tub. The sultan
watched the war between Spain ana the
United States very closely and the i'm
preston made by our navy won mis- re-
spect and admiration. He often spoke 70
me about our cannon and ships and he
may in the near future order some ships
built here. / told him that the cannon
and ships were all right, but he would
have to look to the men behind the guns
''Supposing that the claims against Tur-
key should be pressed. would its treas
ury be able to meet theme
well, you see. bankrupt has an adj
vantage. He can pay nothing and owe
the rest" was Mr.. Angelfs epigrammatic
answer.