The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-15
FARLEY WAS
TOO LENGTHY
State Official Talks Of
Turkey.
SULTAN PRoCRASTNATED
American Schools In the Mean
Time Suffered.
Roosevelt Thought Indisnity Was Of
fered, and Ordered Admiral Jewett
to symrna to Receive
Minister Leishman.
SULTAN PR0CRASTNATED

Washington, Aug. 1.-THE Asso-
ciated Press has received from prom
inent oficial of the State Department,
a statement of pending questions with
Turkey and the steps taken toward
their adjournment
For many years the treatment OF
educational establishments in the Otto
man Empire. founded and conducted by
American citizens, has been very I'M
satisfactory. While similar schools.
under the direction of other foreigners.
have been recognized as existing and
have been accorded the regular license
or imperial firman upon application
therefor applications on behalf Of the
schools under American control have
passed unnoticed.
Temporary permits obtained from
the local authorities have been hedged
In with restrictions and have not In
frequently been ignored by the Turk
fish Government. Difficulties and OBJ
structions have constantly been put In
the way of the American teachers, In
marked contrast to the favor shown
the schools of other nationaIities and III
CONFIRMATION OF the reports of the
American cftixen8 in Turkey to the
most favored tfehtmeItt accorded to
the citizens or s34Hjects OF other states.
This discrin1<6&kion was especially
noticeable with regnrd to the Protest
ant Medical College at Beirut in the
matter of examinations, and the report
of graduates to exercise their profess
sions. The United States Government
claimed for the American school the
same privileges accorded the French
medical school at Beirut. No such
material difference was seen in the
schools as to warrant the discrimina-
tion practised. the difference being
chiefly in the system of government of
France and the United States.
The Protestant Medical Schools
holding equal authorization from and
having the supervision of the State Of
flee from which 1t derives its charter.
was entitled to be regarded as a ma
tional institution as much as the French
school.
Roosevelt's Message.
''The earnest efforts OF the American
Minister at Constantinople to secure
for our schools and teachers the simple
equality of treatment to which they
are entitled, having met with evasive
and dilatory treatment by the Sublime
Porte, and no progress having been
made toward a better Understandings
the President took the matter In hand
and on February 2. 1908. cabled to
6SiSnudA QlTtCliHk MIN 10 ASK
an audience of the Sultan in order to
deliver to him a personal message from
the President Of the good will and as
| surances of his hearty desire to culti-
vate and maintain the most cordial re-
lations of friendship and to bring 10
the personal and direct attention of his
majesty the emba IRA ssments and griey-
snces under which this Government and
its citizens labor. with expressions Of
the Presidents desire and expectation
that the treatment of the most favored
nation would be received and the claim
Of our colleges and schools to equal
treaty rights would be promptly recog-
nized.
Mr.. Leishman's request for an audi
ence was met with much evasion and
delay. Two months passed In the
course of which one of the grounds of
complaint was removed by the issuance
OF an trade for the examination of the
students at the medical school at Bel
rut. 1t was not until April 0. that Mr..
Leishman was enabled to deliver the
Presidents message in person in
audience with the Sultan.
His majesty was pleased to pro-
mise to Immediately consider the re-
quests therein conveyed. No progress
whatever was made during the next
four months toward the settlement of
Il
dents message still remained unan-
swered Notwithstanding Mr.. Leish-
mans repeated and urgent represen-
tations.
TN the summer of 1908 the report
of the attempt assassination of the
American Vice-Consdnl at Beirut led
to the visit of the American Mediter-
ianian squadron to that port to in
vestigate the circumstances. It's
presence was opportune
The notorious insecurity Of foreign
life and property at Beirut was reme-
died by the removal of the local Gov
ernor and the substitution of a moro
energetic and friendly officer in his
place. The object having been ac-
complished the squadron withdrew the
last OF January 1904.
I'm the meantime Mr.. Leishman's en-
deavors to advance settlement of the
general questions at Issue were una
vaiIing. the Porte being apparently
unwilling to meet the Presidents re-
quests during the presence of the
American feet In Turkish waters. It's
withdrawal however, did not hasten
matters. Again and again Minister
Leishman presented for n favorable
answer to the Presidents message and
as often was met by evasive and vague
responses. His requests for an aud
ence passed unheeded
III matter like Nllo COHNCAhiiiS tilC
friendly intercourse of two equal ma
lions through their executive heads,
the Presidents forbearance was sorely
tried. AS the interests involved were
not personal, but national, the procras-
tination of the Ottoman government
shows an aspect little short of inter-
national indignity to the American
nation. 1t became an imperative duty
to bring this phase of the matter to
speedy close and peremptory orders
were given to Minister Leishman to
demand an audience of the Sultan and
ask for a response to the Presidents
message of February 2, 1904.
The audience was ut last accorded
on July 2s. 1904. his majesty promised
immediate consideration OF the subject
and fixed Tuesday. August 2 as the
time when definite response would
be given to Mr.. Leishman by his ma
iesty. The date then fixed was post
poned to Thursday but on Thursday
Mr. Leishman teleEraphed that the
promised reply had not been received
''Thereupon the President ordered
that the Mediterranean squadron. then