The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-07
.BNJOlDED BY TIE KORAN
The Reason Why Turkey Declines
to Pay Indemnities.
Mahometan Laws Opposed to Giving
Up Property of the State to Unbe-
lievers-Dues to Other Nations
Only Recognized When the Sui
tan's Empire Is in Serious Danger.

Turkey does not pay indemnities. 1t has
done such things in the past. it is true.
but it never does it with admission Of the
right of the demand Russia has taken a
very large sum out of the Turkish treas
ury by way Of indemnity for the war Of
1S77-'7S. The payment was one OF the
terms of the treaty of peace. The promise
of payment was an admission by Turkey
that it had waDtonly forced Russia into
the war in defence of the interests of the
Car in the well-b being of the peoples of
the Balkan Peninsula. But after the first
few instruments had been paid the matter
dropped from the minds Of those in charge
Of the budget, and Russia has had to urge
payment several times before securing the
money due. During the last ten years
there has been more than one os;entatious
preparation OF Russian troops at Odessa
and of the Russian fleet at Sebastopol be-
fore the cash was actually forthcoming.
other Governments have had similar ex-
periences. England has taken money out
Of the Turkish treasury, but it has always
been, as in the case Of indemnity for pay
ment OF ransom money extracted by Tur-
kish brigands from an English subject at
Salonica, after such presentation OF the
demand as left no doubt of the purpose of
England to use force.
The explanation of the usage of delaying
or refusing settlement of just claim and
then yielding to a more or less open threat
is not solely the lean proportions of the
Turkish money bags. nor is 1t love for the
humiliation which this policy may bring to
the Porte. 1t is not followed in any real
expectation that refusal or delay to pay
is an effective measure of deliverance- 1t
is simply high principle which leads the
Sublime Porte to take this attitude every
time that its mistakes or the misdeeds of
it's subjects made it liable for damages.
The Empire is established upon a funda-
mental principle which denies to other ma
tons the right Of basing demands upon it
on equity or international law. The Koran
definitely says that it is not right for Ma
hometans to give of their property to unbe-
levers. The laws based upon the Koran
explain that the payment of money to non-
Mahometan nations, even il war is threat
ened, is not proper, because such payment
brings disgrace upon the true religion.
Neither the Koran nor the laws deiuced
from the Koran leave any room for the
dlscuss.o- Of the merits of the case.
Equity does not enter into the question.
The sole point for consideration when a
claim for indemnity comes up is the point
OF expedieney.
In the first part of the present century
an Englishman named Churchill acct
dentally hit Turkish boy with birdshot
while hunting. He was at once arrested
and thrown into prison and seriously mall
treated. The whole procedure was vio-
lation of the treaties, and the case was
aggravated by high officials of the Govern
ment being implicated in the violation OF
the capitulatonS which grant extra-terr-
toriality to foreigners. England demanded
indemnity and the removal from office of
the officials chiefly concerned in the case.
After long negotiations and threat of
force the demands of England were granted
and the indemnity was paid. But in the
course Of these negotiations Count Pisani.
the English dragoman at Constantinople,
made curious declaration . the Turk
ish Minister of Foreign Affairs, which sets
forth the relation OF Turkey to any discus
sion OF the merits of such a case ON the
ground of equity. The Minister OF Foreign
Affairs said to the English dragoman: II
understand that there is a book in French
called international law. Show me in that
book the equity of your demands and we
will consider the case."-Gount Pisani, who
was rather peppery gentleman. replied:
There is a book called international law
which Christian nations have to guide
their relations with each other, but that
book is not for such as you'll"
Count PisaEis remark was not diplo-
matte, but it was true. The only question
which caa enter into the case when Tur-
key is pressed to pay indemnity is the
question whether refusal will bring calam-
lty to the State or not. No matter what
crime has been committed by Turks upon
Christian subjects Of a foreign power. the
Turkish Government is obliged by the law
TO look at the one question alone. whether
payment OF indemnity can be resisted or
not
The grounds OF such payments are stated
In the law books to be danger of serious
injury to the Moslem State. Unless there
is danger of destruction. or at least unles.
there is reason to fear destruction, the law
says that the money must nc. be paid. for
the reason ebove stated. The situation is
Illustrated in the law books by curious
tradition of the practice Of the Prophet.