The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-10
ARREST OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN
TURKEY.

The arrest OF naturalized American citi-
zen at Alexandretta, Turkey. followed by an
attack on the United States consul. who
tried to protect the man, and his closing OF
the consulate, adds another to the long list
of unpublished outrages perpetrated against
American citizens in Turkey. If the Turkish
government were civilized such outrages
would not occur. or If they did occur they
would have to be atoned for according TO
the standard that prevails among civilized
nations. But because the Turkish govern
ment is simply organized tyranny, legal
lied pilIage and legitimatized robbery. civ
ilized nations permit it to perpetrate such
outrages almost with impunity and without
any serious attempt to put stop to them.
The repeated arrest in Turkey of natural
lied American citizens Of Armenian birth Is
an offense which would not be tolerated by
the United States from any other country
nor toward any other class of citizens. 1t
is based upon the Turkish theory of once
subject always a subject, and that native
born Turkish subject cannot throw OFF his
allegiance to Turkey or become citizen or
another country SO as to entitle him to its
protection. This theory ignores our natural
ization laws and denies the right of the
United States to define American citizen
ship or say who may enjoy the privileges
and protection that belong to 1t.
There are about 10000 Armenians in this
country who are naturalized American citi-
zens and fully entitled to protection as such
in any part of the world. yet not one OF
them dares to return to Turkey to visit rela-
tives or transact business. In any other
country Of the world they can claim pro-
lection American citizens, as any other
class of American citizens can in Turkey,
but the naturalized Armenian-American
who goes to Turkey Is a man without a
country. He is between the upper milestone
Of Turkish oppression and the lower one
OF American neglect. So far does the Turk
ish government carry its denial of the right
of expatriation that 1t continues to levy on
naturalized Observation-Disclosures a poll tax
Of about SIS year, and every native Ar
menian in the United States has to pay this
tax at the risk of having his relatives i'm
prisoned or massacred.
The United States was the first govern
ment to take a determined stand in favor
of the doctrine Of expatriation and the right
of aliens to become American citizens by
naturalization. Denial of this right was one
of the main causes of the war of 1872 with
Great Britain, but it has long since been
recognized by that government and most
others. In 1868 Congress passed law de-
claring that ''the right of expatriation is a
natural and inherent right of all people, in
dispensable to the enjoyment of the rights
of life. liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness" and pronouncing any declaration
questioning this right Ito be inconsistent
with the fundamental principles of the Re-
public" The law also declares that "All
naturalized citizens of the United States.
while in foreign countries. are entitled to
and shall receive from this government the
same protection of persons and property
which is accorded to native-born citizens
The only thing the Turkish government
respects is force. 1t has regard for the
laws of humanity and very little for inter-
ago the United States concluded treaty
with Turkey intended to cover the natural
ization question and the right of naturalized
Observation-Disclosures to return to Turkey.
| The treaty has been practically dead let
ter and the Turkish government has re-
| peatedly arrested naturalized Americans
| who have returned to that country for law
full purposes. This government has protested
against these acts time and again with lit
tie or no effect, and its protests will con-
tinue to be Intellectual unless backed up by
| a show of force. 1t is a great concession
on the part of European powers and the
United States to recognize Turkey as a
civilized government, but being so recog-
nized she should be required to act in q
| civilized manner.