Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-05-03

,ayment Of compensation for the mis-
iionary buildings destroyed and prop
srty looted as we'll as to the permits
sion required to rebuild. The Turkish
government. shortly before the de-
parture of DIR. Angel, had denied all
liability for the buildings and proper
ty destroyed. A similar reply was
sent to the ambassadors OF England
France and Italy, who had presented
similar claims.
The Turkish government took the
position that its denial Of liability in
such case hal ample precedent in the
refusal Of the government Of the
United States to admit responsibility
for outrages committed within its own
territory on the subjects of friendly
powers. One case cited was the violence
to which the Spanish consul and other
citizens OF Spain had been subjected by
riotous mobs in New Orleans and Key
West in 1851; another was the massa
ere OF % Cinnamon, with attendant
piiiage of Chinese property at ROCK
Springs, Wyo., in 1886. and the thlrd
was the iynching OF II Italians by a
mob OF rioters in New Orleans in 1881
AS a matter of fact, the outrages In
Asia Minor were not parallel cases, De
cause the presence of bullets and can
non balls in the walls of the wrecked
buildings of Harpoot were indlsput-
able evidence that Turkish soldiers
had participated in their destruction.
Rut the record of the United States in
the three cases referred to was per-
fectIv clear and correct one and could
confidently be commended by our min
ister at Constantinople to the imita-
ton Of Turkey.
The case of the United States against
Turkey was, necessarily, first submit
ted to the minister of foreign affairs,
then to the council of ministers, who
made their report to the sultan, and,
finally, it became question of direct
between the sultan and the
minister of the United States At an
audience Dec. 8, 1898, the sultan in
former our minister he had directed
that the claims preferred by the
United States should be paid. The
claims were examined with great care.
and it was agreed that the basis of
settlement should be simple indem-
nifty for the actual value OF the prop
erty destroyed. There can be no ques-
ton that to the payment of this the
sultan explicitly and unequivocally
agreed. The promise to pay has been
twice repeated since December, 1898
the last time just before the departure
Of Mr.. Starus for the United States.
The situation, therefore, is practical
ly this: Our minister has succeeded
in obtaining judgment upon these
claims by confession made by the sui
tan himself, but the execution remains
unsatlsfed. There has been double
breach of faith on the part of the sui
tan, for not only is the money pay
ment evaded but the promised trade
or permit for the reconstruction of
the burned buildings is, on one pretext
or other, still delayed. AS the build
ings were originally erected under the
protection of our treaties with Turkey,
the right obviously exists to restore
them without special permission. But,
considering that the buildings were
destroyed by the connivance if not
with the assistance of the troops of the
sultan, the expediency of securing an
trade for their reconstruction is not
open to question.
The case is obviously not one that
lends itself to arbitration. 1t is sim
ply a question whether the word of the
sovereign of Turkey is to be kept, and
what shall be the course of the gov
ernment of the United States. to whose
representative the word was given, in
the event of a persistent refusal TO
make it good. With manifest propri-
city the president has declined to ac-
cept the resignation of Minister
Straus. because to send new envoy
10 Constantinople would be merely to
give the sultan another chance to re-
peat the tactics of evasion and delay
which have already consumed nearly
five years. TO order MIR, Straus to re-
turn to Constantinople mDuld be equal
ly inadvlsable till there is some decid
ed change in the status of the eontro-
versy Under the able guidance and
direction of Secretary Hay our minis
ter has carried the negotiations to their
logical conclusion. and there is abso-
lutely nothing more to do in that di-
rection. Diplomacy has exhausted IT.
self in this negotiation, and arbitra-
ton is impossible. Were the issue one
which involved our national honor
war would, under such conditions. be
inevitable.
As matters stand, several courses
are open before resorting to extreme
measures. If we break diplomatic re-
lattons, our diplomatic interests could
be placel In charga of France Italy