Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-16
Controversy Over Question of Foreign
Post Offices.
NOT LIKELY TOHAVE SERIOUS RESULTS
Mr. Theodore P. lon Discusses the
Contention.
ATTITUDE OF THE POWERS

Theodore p. Ion. lecturer on international
law at the National University. and who.
before coming to the United States. prac-
ticed law at Constantinople for several
years discussed with a reporter for The Star
today the contention between the Turkish
and other governments concerning the con-
duct and maintenance of the foreign post
offices in the Ottoman empire
There is little probability" Mr.. Ion said,
that the controversy will lead to serious
consequences. Turkey is actuated by q
strong desire to restrict the privileges en-
joyed within her boundaries by certain Eu-
ropean nations. As soon she under
stands that these powers are unwilling to
recede, Turkey will submit just as she has
on number of other occasions. The first
question which ought to be considered 10
whether Turkey is justified I'm her objection
to the continuance of certain forms OF for
eign authority within her borders. Turkey
is peculiar country. She is n sovereign
country In name, but not in fact. Turkey
submits quite naturally to many things
which would be degrading and humiliating
TO sovereign state.
Cause of Foreign Post Offices.
THE existence of foreign post offices in
Turkey is due to the inefficient and insecure
postal system of that country. AS far rs /
tween the powers and Turkey concerning
the establishment and maint enance OF the
offices of which the Turkish government
complains. Still the Ottoman porte per-
mitted their establishment, and he has for
many years assented to their existence.
These offices are the outcome of a capitula-
ton by reason OF which foreign subjects re-
siding in Turkey enjoy many privileges, one
of the most important being the right OF
trial in their respective consular courts.
~, inI h.ah in n
ventions between the various powers ana
Turkey, but flow from the general spirit or
them. Turkey could not now suppress them
without the consent Of the powers interest
ed, simply because she assented 10 their es-
tablisment. All the powers having capitu-
lations have not post offices in Turkey, the
only foreign offices in Turkey being those
under the jurisdiction OF England, FRANCE
Germany and Austria. Greece at one time
controlled certain post offices in Turkey
but this is not now the case. Neither Italy
nor Russia maintains its own offices In Tur-
key, but its citizens use the foreign ofnces.
In fact nearly all foreign correspondents
with people in Turkey use the foreign OF
fees, the notable exception being the peo-
| pie of the United States. 1t should be un-
! derstood that these post offices receive let
| tiers from and deliver letters to all resi-
dents in the Ottoman empire, the service
not being limited to foreigners residing IN
Turkish Postal Service.
TT is true that Turkey is a member OF
the Universal Postal Union, but the condi-
ton Of Turkeys postal service is neither
better nor worse than any other branch
of the administration of affairs In that
country The deplorable condition Of the
| Turkish postal system is due largely to
political reasons. The sultan Is always In
fear of aSsa aSSination. He sees revolution
ary movements everywhere. The mails,
he believes furnish great opportunities FOR
| conspirators, and the foreign post offices.
he believes, present to revolutonists un-
limited opportunities. Newspapers ana
| pamphlets which have been suppressed 30
| far as their transmission through the do
! mestic postal system is concerned. may be
| transmitted through the foreign offices.
Mr. lon saws that in the past the turkish
| postal authorities have not hesitated to
| open letters passing through the mails In
their search for correspondence of polit-
| ical nature.
| THE powers on various occasions have
| protested against violations of the conven-
| tions Of the Universal Postal Union. The
United States sends letters to Turkish post
| offices when such letters are not specific
| ally addressed in care of the foreign OF
| fees This policy was adopted by the
| United States good many years ago,
when the Turkish government made GER
tain representations that important re-
| forms had been instituted In it's postal ad-
| ministration No European country fol-
| lowed the example of the United States IN
| accepting these representations In good
III, d
| employed in the Turkish postal service,
| but they occupying. as they do subordf-
| nate positions, have not the power to In
| augurate reforms.
| The Mails Not Sacred.
| Some years ago an Armenian, who had
| become a citizen of the United States, and
being Mystic Shriner. sent photograph
| Of himself dressed in the Arabian costume
of his rank. to his father, who lived In
Smyrna. This letter, passing through the
| Turkish post Office was opened. The
| father was arrested and convicted on the
| charge of conducting correspondence with
member of secret revolutionary society.
He was sentenced to two years imprison-
| ment The European powers would be glad
| to discontinue their post offices and con-
sular courts, could they have assurance
| that their citizens would be safe
THE only foreign post offices which, af-
ter their establishment in Turkey, were
abolished were those controlled by Greece
| In Thessaly. The disestablishment OF
| those offices was one of the results OF the
conference of Berlin in 1873. Greece had
| previously suppressed the Turkish post Of
| fees in Thessaly, and Turkey retaliated.
| Austria suppressed the Turkish Offices in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, when the admins
| tration of those countries was assigned to
her by the treaty of Berlin.
No Local Mail Delivery.
There is no local delivery of mail in any
like Constantinople in order to mail a let
| ter one must carry it to the post office
himself or employ a messenger to do this
service.
Last years the sultan issued an edict to
| the effect that no Ottoman subject would
| be allowed to use the foreign postal serv-
| ice. A heavy penalty for infraction Of the
| law was prescribed. 1t was found to be
| difficult to enforce this law, as the foreign
mail carriers and collectors did their work
| Just the same and Turkish officials did
| not have access to the letters. Thus they
| could not learn the identity of the patrons
| of the foreign mail
'In the matter of the Turkish complaint
| that the foreign mail service is used for
purposes Of smuggling, let me say that
| that is subterfuge. The postal officials are
| responsible to their various governments
and are well chosen men. Smugglers find
| 1t a good deal easier to corrupt the Turkish
| officials than to make use of the foreigners
| employed in the peculiar postal service
| which prevails in Turkey"
Mail Service Changes I'm Virginia