The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-25
TURKEY BARS OUR EXPLORERS
BUT SHE LET'S OTHER NATIONS
SEARCH BABYLONIAN RUINS.
Plan to Exeayate Ur or the Chaldces Given
tip, After Three Years struggle
Against Ofncial SacillatiOn and Delay
-sUbscribers' EO, 900 Spent in Vain.

-subscribers EB, 600 Spent I'm vain.
After more than three years Of prepara-
ton and effort. and the expenditure OF
more than $4,000, the plan for the excava-
ton of Ur of the Chaldees and other places
in Babylonia by American explorers has
been abandoned because the Turkish Gov
eminent will not grant permission TO
American citizens to do this work.
The failure of the project, owing to in
ability to procure authorization for Ameri-
cans to carry on this work while men OF
other nationalities have been permitted
to excavate, has been disappointment
to its organizers, but after having been
baffled for three years they concluded that
their only course was to withdraw from
the enterprise altogether.
In letter to subscribers to the Ur Elk
petition, the Rev, Dr. John p, Peters, chair
man of the advisory board, says
"On June 10, 1900, an application was
made for an trade TO excavate Maugheir,
Ur OF the Chaldees, and Nawawis (Eridu)
ruins in close proximity in Southern Baby
lonia, and the required Typographical map
was submitted with this application. The
application was In all respects in con-
formity with the law of the Turkish Empire
governing excavations.
mo permission to excavate has been
obtained, nor has any satisfactory reason
been given for the failure to grant such
permission. Later, at the suggestion Of the
Turkish authorities, Te-Ibrahim (kutha)
was substituted for Maugheir, with the same
result.
"Dr. Edgar j. Banks, the director of the
expedition, has been in Constantinople
since Jan. II, 1901, earnestly pressing the
Turkish Government, with the cooperation
of the United States Legation, for permis-
sion to excavate. The committee has
received from him from time to time de-
tailed reports Of exasperating delays and
devices on the part Of the Turkish Gov
eminent to avoid giving satisfaction TO a
request made in accordance with their
own laws"
During this same period permissions
have been granted to other persons from
other nations to excavate, while the per-
mission asked for by our committee has
been withheld"
DR. Peters says that the director of the
Of Public Instruction have appeared to
favor the granting Of firman, and have
even held out hope that it would speedily
be granted But all the hope came to
naught.
In the meantime Dr. Bankss expenses
have been paid and also, for part Of the
time, those Of two other members OF the
expedition and the sums contributed for
it have been used up. The committee doe
not feel warranted under the circumstances
DR.. Peters says, in asking for further sub
scriptions and. after meeting of the ad-
visory board, it was determined to lay the
facts before subscribers together with
q financial statement.
And since 1t is evidently impracticable,
DR.. Peters says at the close of his letter,
"in spite of the plain terms of the Turkish
law, for American citizens, as such, to OBJ
tain permission to excavate in the Turkish
Empire, or at least in Babylonia, ii was
regretfuly decided to disband the Ur ex-
petition"
The financial statement shows $s78 As
spent for equipment; s20l 10 for freight
g., 40s 80 for the directors salary and living
expenses; s345 80 for sundry expenses of
his; S749 O5 in the directors hands, or spent
by him, but not yet accounted for in detail
sos 80 paid as the secretary's salary;
S541 90 as salary and living expenses Of
and S4O45O paid out for sundry home ex-
penses. The total amount contributed
Tor the purposes Of the expedition was
48 394 as