The times., 1899-12-17


Offices in Turkey. The question al issue
is a serious one. pres uting Interesting
complications A century, ago foreigners
living in Turkey received business and
personal CORES zpo1l5rce. by courtesy.
through The embassies alore The nusi-
ness finally grew TO such a size that the
embassies turned it over TO the Consulates
which se, apart special rooms for the re-
celnr and delivery OF The letters Of mer-
chants and others among rhelr own sub
5ecJs. Al last France and Austria. and la
ter England and Russia and Italy and Ger
many. and even Greece. opened regular
postoficas as q part Of the postal system
Of the several countries. rot only at Con-
siandnoTla bur at many seaports OF Tur-
key. like Smyrna Beirut. and SalOniea.
Until within twenty-five years one OF the
picturesque sights Of the week in Con-
stantnople was the arrival OF the Austrian
courier. who had ridden on horseback. with
muddy mail sacks for all the foreign Off
ces. the whole distance from the Hurga-
Tlan frontier.
such postofices seem to be a violation
Of the sovereign rights Of the Sultan.
ANY claim for their tight 10 exist rests
upon the cspitulations. BY those ancient
treaties. as Rome sometimes did Cor for
eigners living in Roman territory, and as
the Byzantines did for Turks living in
Constantinople before the downfall Of the
Eastern Empire. the Sultan admitted that
foreigners having q religion and civiliza-
tion Of their own could not eXepct 10 be
governed by the customs OF his Empire,
and might therefore live in Turkey under
their OWL laws. The idea on which the
capitulations are based is the necessary
incompatibility between European and ASH
attic notions OF equity. the rights 81 man,
and civilization No European can live
under the system in vogue JIM Turkey, but
Turkey sees advantage IN holding inter
course with foreigners. and therefore The
Sultaus by the treaties waived their sew
sreign right Of control over the European
resident so long as he did not attack the
country or its people. and so far as his
own private affairs were concerned.
Al the first III was perfectly clear that
postoficos came under the class Of purely
private affairs covered by the capiJuladons.
Turkey had an internal postotice system
which carried letters with all the speed
OF horseHesh. and delivered them with all
the sluggish heedlessness OF officials de-
voted 20 the study of their own ease. The
postal delivery in small places was the
basket delivery. The mail. after official
correspondence had been weedei out was
placed IN 4 basket and carried into an outer
room, and there emptied on the floor ia
the midst OF the crowd with the announce
ment There's your MALL II important
centres. however. letters were refused 10
applicants al the Office. They were given
20 the clerks. who eked out meagre salary
by the or 30 cents q letter which they
were able 70 wiring from the persons -
whom they delivered them. To admit un
der these circumstances that the letters
OF q foreigner are part Of his personal
property which the capituiati0ns 90 not
allow to fall under Turkish jurisdiction
was quite natural.
But these foreign postofiices have done
serious harm TO Turkey. The pOstofices
al more than pay their expenses, and the
profit is so much dead loss 10 Turkish dev-
enue After a time the Turks found that
watches. jeweIry, and other articles Of
value came into the country through The
foreign posts. and not alone for the private
use OF foreigners. Merchants, whether OF
tomau sugjects or not import valuable
goods In this way 10 an extent that has
brought considerable loss TO the Turkish
custom houses. Finally. TevOlutiOnists.
young Turks. and what not use The foreign
postoflces for dealings With local malcOn-
tents and for sending from abroad seditious
papers. even into the palace Of the Sultan
himself. Establishments capable Of such
abuse from the Turkish point Of view
should be abolished without waiting until
the next day.
The foreign Governments have yielded to
the objections Of the Turks so far as 10
send an packages OF commercial matter 10
the Turkish custom house Tor delivery. and
they generally hand over to the tender mer-
CIes 0f the Turkish authorities letters which
are clearly for Turkish subjects on spe-
clal request the foreign postofic=s com
monty suppress also. any number Of =
newspaper whose peculiarly obnoxious con
teaIs have been telegraphed 70 The Turk
ssh police by its r=preseLtatiyes abroad.
Buj OF The main question that OF the sup
preston of the pcstofHces they have uDi-
f0rmIy replied that these Offices VIII be
closed as soon as Turkey provides safe
and efficient postal administration.
When Turkey Joined the International
Postal Union about twenty years ago. il
organized au International pos5otiiee uudeT
the supervision Of an Englishman borrow
ed from The English Postmaster General
This was expected to take The place Ci
the foreign Offices as soon as ir had shown
its efficiency. The money IN circulation
then was below par and hge-ceut stamp
at The Turkish Office cost about four cents
This fact brought large business 10 the
new posrofhce. But as soon as success
seemed 20 have assured the position. the
Turkish Government put police officials
into the new Office 10 reap the gain Cf tht
expected closure Of the foreign Offices
These men treated the mails as their oWI
property. Letters failed 10 reach their
destination or on delivery day late
showed that they had been opened bl
dirty fingers. Newspaper correspondent
who entrusted their manuscripts TO tbs
Turkish office found themselves blown
up by angry editors for failing 10 sen,
letters.
Merchants found trade secrets being act
ed upon by natives who had a pull al tn
postofiice. while their own letters were De
fained until their contents could be thu
utilized Several times men were arresJe
on charges Of sediiOn, and on the trial j
came OUT that the evidence was an obscUr
passage ia some business letter opened il
the postoffice. Even in The money orde
department there were scandals. None
disappeared. and the p0stoniee refuse
payment alleging thar 81 had done its dut
II dischargiug the thief whom the hOlde
Of the money order must sue n De WOul
have his money
The result was Thar the European Gov
ernments would not admit that an OfIc
where such things occurred was safe O
efficient and declined 10 close their post
Offices. In fact of an The powers ID
United States alonG in its Innocence
guile adopted this Turkish pusL0tiicC as
eerious business enterprise.
IL made a postal treaty by which all ma
from America for the Turkish Empire
sent 10 lhc Turkish postoftee in close
here Now it hau8eue that one OF ID