Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-02
DEPENDS ON REPORT
Whether American Warships
Remain at Beirut
QUESTION 6r VERACITY
CONTRA
DICTED BYsTURK1sH OFFICIALS.
Latter Deny That an Attempt Was
Made Upon the Life Of Mr..
I. Magelssen.

Tnere were no special developments TO-DAY
In connection with the relations between
the United States and Turkey. and no ma
terial change in the situation is looked
for until the State Department has received
full and complete details regarding the al
legged attempt on the life Of Magelssen, the
vice consul at Beirut. No additional light
has been thrown on the matter Of the mis-
take made in announcing that the vice con-
sui had been assassinated and the impress
sion prevails that the mistake resulted
from the use of the wrong number in the
original cipher dispatch sent by Consul
Ravndal in regard to the affair to Minister
Leishman at Constantinople. 1t is possible
that mistake may have been made in
translating the cipher dispatch at Constan-
tinople.
The presumption is strong in official cir
cles, however, that the error occurred in
the preparation of the dispatch at Beirut
and not In its translation at CONSTANT
nople. >. :.
A Question Of Veracity.
The cable message received by Secretary
Hay from Consul Ravndal to the effect
that an attempt actually was made on the
life OF the vice consul is fatty contra
dicted by the officials of the Turkish gov
eminent, and raises a serious question Of
veracity with respect to what really oc-
Cured. Mr.. Chekib Bey. the Turkish min
lister here. has left with Secretary Hay q
copy OF the following cable message re-
ceived by him from the porte at CONSTANT
nOple giving the Turkish version of the in
cident as disclosed by the investigation
made by the Turkish authorities:
The views of the assassination of the
American vice consul is absolutely false.
He Is in the best of health. Perfect order
and tranquility prevail at Beirut.
A man returning from a wedding party
having fired. according to local custom, a
gun into the air, the vice consul, who was
passing in carriage, thought the shot was
aimed at him. The man who fired has been
arrested.
This is all the foundation there is to the
story. Mr.. Leishman has been informed
Of the facts"
Criticism Of Consul Ravndal.
1t is said at the State Department in ex-
teruation OF the mistake supposed to have
been made by Consul Ravndal in his cipher
message thats j is, not an uncommon oc-
currence for errors to be made in messages
between the department and its agents
abroad, and that in many cases 1t has been
found necessary to, secure verification Of
the original messages in order to guard
against possible Mistakes In the use Of tire
cipher code. Il Is admitted. however, that
such corrections are usually made without
serious conseqqsnces, and that the present
The principal criticism OF Mr.. Ravndars
action is that be SHOULD have resorted to
the use OF ths7cipher code instead of en-
ploying the. ordinary mail facilities in re-
porting to the minister in a case like the
present, where, even though an insult may
have been offered an officer Of the United
States government no personal injury was
sustained, and also because of the doubt
as to whether anyrfnsult, was actually in
tended or committed.
n@~n1~i%ia,, 30 Tro
The administration has come to no de-
cision regarding the disposition to be made
of the American warships which are now
sailing to Beirut. Whether the.Brooklyn,
San Francisco and Machias remain in Turk
ish waters will depend entirely upon the
tenor of a report which Minister Leishman
makes concerning the situation In Turkey
and the necessity which exists for Amer
lean warships to protect American inter-
ests. 1t is expected that the report of Min
lister Leishman will receive the considera-
ton of the President before any determine
ton is reached, as Mr.. Roosevelt has shown
deep interest In the whole matter Minis
ter Leishman has been instructed to make
full report, which it is expected will reach
Washington about the time of the arrival
of the squadron in Turkish waters, the end
of the present week.
1t Is realized at the State Department
that the retention Of the American squad
ron in Turkish waters might be the cause
Of a serious misconstructtOn by Europe. In
view of the fact that the United States
has no apparent interest in the present
conditions in the Turkish empire beyond
the protection of American lives and prop
erty. and these are not thought to be in
any particular danger at this time, it is be-
Iieved that the best thing that could be
done would be to countermand the orders
to Admiral Cotton as soon as he can be
reached by cable, which will be when he
arrives at Beirut