Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-05-05
ULTlMATUM TO SULTAN.
United States Makes Premptorl DE.
mand for q Settlement.

Unitcu states MAKES BrefnpCOrl De.
mand for a Settlement.
Constantinople, Friday, April az
The United States legation mas not yet
received the porte's answer to the note
handed to Tewfik pasha, Turkish for
eign minister, by the American charge
d'affaires regarding indemnity claims,
and the impression is gaining ground
| that the reply will be in the negative
or even that no reply will be made.
The latter alternative, however, seems
TO be unlikely. The general opinion is
that without "A display of force the
porte certainly will not pay the
claims, because il wishes to show the
Moslem world that il only yields to
force. Ii in not considered here that
a simple rupture of diplomatic rcla-
tions will render the porte easier TO
deal with; but n rupture of formal re-
lations is not thought necessary, as the
sending of a warship TO the Mcditer-
ranean port would suffice TO obtain n
settlement of the matter in less than
twcnty-four hours. The same propo-
sition for n settlement of the indem.
nifty question, by ordering a warship,
in the price Of which the indemnity
should be included, was formally
made TO France and Italy, but was re.
iected. The newspaper criticism ana
comments upon the attitude Of Turkey
in this affair are causing great irritG'
ton at the Iildiz Kiosk.
The American note handed TO the
Turkish minister of foreign affairs,
Tcwfik Pasha, was couched in peremp-
tory terms demanding immediate pay
ment of the indemnity several times
promised tO Minister Straus by the
sultan. The note does not fix Il time
limit for an answer, but it's tenor is
not far from the character OF an until
matum.
Turkeys Proposal Rejected.
Washington, May l.-Rcyond the
statement that Mr.. Griscom, United
States charge d'affaires at CONSTANT
NOBLE, has been instructed 10 press
vigorously for the payment OF the
American claims for indemnity, the Of
iicials here decline to divulgc the ma
turc Of his instructions. They say
that Mr.. Griscom does not need in
]structions TO forward the claims, for
he had Of his own volitiOn taken a
rather advanced attitude in this mat
ter and the representations he Is now
making, though this time by express
instructions, are in no respect more
pcrcmptory than his preceding
deliveries 10 the Turkish government.
Novel though the proposition was
from Il diplomatic standpoint, yet II
il learned to be true that the effort
was made by the porte To pay TINS
American claim under cover of an or
der for a warship TO be built in the
United States for Turkey.
The reason for the failure of the
project were several. The United
States government has no warships
for sale, and is not authorized TO build
any for foreign order. Then there is
no warrant of raw for entering into an
arrangement with n private shipbulid-
ing concern for the collection of an In
tcrnational obligation in the manne
purposcd. Lastly, Judging by the cN'
pcriencc Of concerns that have had
dealings with the Turkish government,
any shipbuildcr accepting the q
from Turkey would require Il guar
antv from the United States govern
mcnt, and the net result of the trans
action might be the assumption by the
United States of I'm obligation as
much larger than the original claims
as the price of a battlcship exceeds the
500, 900.
Even IL these obstacles were over
come the scheme would be an utter
failure as concerns the accomplish
mcnt of the prime object, namely, the
secret payment TO the United States of
the indemnity. with Il view to avoiding
demands from other nations for settle
mcnt Of their claims, for under our
open methods of business the trans
actions would have to be Il matter OF
official record.
One effect Of this sudden applica-
ton of pressure upon Turkey is Il re-
ncwal of applications from American
holders of other claims against Inr-
KEY for n presentation of their eases.
Save the missionary claims, the 10000
indemnity contains only n small al
lotmcnt of about $1,000 for the benefit
of the family Of the bicylist, LEM, who
was killed in Turkey while making a
circuit of the globe. But it is believed
that however well founded the other
outstanding claims may be, the pres
cnt time is not regarded as propitious
for urging them upon the attention of
the porte and il is expected that moth
ing will be done to divert the ncgotia-
tions from these missionary claims as
the main issue.