The Washington times., 1901-07-11
TURKEY PAYS UP AT LAST.
The Armenian Claims Settled by
the Payment of S95.000.
Indemnity Money Placed in Ottoman
Bank ia the Credit of the United
States-History of the Case and Its
Devious Diplomatic TangIes.

A diplomatic victory of wide import to
the United States was gained through the
State Department yesterday in the final
| settlement of the long pending claims Of
this Government against Turkey. The
controversy. which on several occasions
threatened TO disrupt the otherwise
cordial relations between the two coun-
tries, was the result, in the main, of the
destruction OF American church mission
property in Armenia.
Secretary Hay yesterday received a
cahleEram from John c. A. Leishman
the United States Minister at CONSTANT
nople. saying that the Sublime Porte had
handed him S95, 900 in payment of the Ar
menian claims, and that he had depos-
tied the money in the Ottoman Bank sub
ject to the disposition Of the State De-
partment
This amount does not quite represent
the aggregate of the claims presented,
bus the State Department is satisfied. The
money is in payment of damage done to
the American College at Harpoot. Arme-
MIA, and injuries suffered by persons of
Armenian birth who had been naturalized
IN the United States II covers also the
indemnity demanded for the murder by
Turkish soldiers of Frank Lentz. of Pitts
e
bicycle through Armenia when killed.
Lentz started out on a globe circling
trip in the interests of Outing shortly
after the pneumatic tire came into use.
He was the first cyclist to make an at
tempt to encircle the earth on wheel,
and attracted unusual attention in every
country through which he passed.
In Armenia all trace of him was lost.
and long afterward it was ascertained
that he was killed by the Kurds, who
had never seen a bicycle, and believed
the rider to be a devil His relatives made
claim for payment of an indemnity, and
VIII be allowed a portion of the amount
received. There are also a number of
other individual claims
Five diplomatic representatives of the
United States IN Turkey have tried for
nearly eight years to collect these claims.
The first was Minister Terrell. under
President Cleveland. He was succeeded
by Mr.. Angel, who went to Constantine
pie for the express purpose OF securing
payment. After a years residence in
Turkey he came home without the money
and was succeeded by Mr.. Straus of New
York
1t was Mr.. Straus who made the enter
ing wedge in the negotiations that have
Sultan personally on three occasions the
promise that the indemnity would be paid
without delay. The money was not forth
coming. however. and Mr. Straus came
home and declined to return to Turkey
unless the Sultan made good his promise.
During Mr.. Straus' abserce Lloyd c.
Griseom, the United States Charge daft
faires who sailed yesterday from New
York on his way TO assume the duties Of
United States Minister TO Persia, made
il a point to call every Saturday on the
Sultan 10 press the payment of the
claims. He was relieved recently by AIr
I-eishman, who had been transferred
from Switzerland. and whose success in
securing satisfaction so quickly has
caused much faVora bic comment.
The strong moral effect Of the presence
of the battleship Kentucky in Turkish
waters several months ago and the per
siStency Of Mr.. GriScom urging uDre-
lentiugly his diplomatic representations
are rega rded by the State Department Of
ficials as the potent forces which led to
the present satisfactory conclusion Of she
controversy.
The State Department will at once pre-
pare q schedule making pro rata as
signment OF the money received. and II
is probable that before the lapse of much
further time the claimants viii receive
the several amounts allotted to them.