Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13

time instructed his minister here to protest
against its presence because 1t was a cause
of excitement. The feet was withdrawn
after the Turkish government offered its
apology, stating that the shot which near
ly struck our consular officer was intended
as salute for bride and groom.
Worse Than Spanish "Manana."
The 'manana" policy of Spain is moth
ing to that of the sublime porte. Ferid
Pasha, the grand vZier, is the representa-
tive of the sultan, the head of the tenn
poral government and the leader of the
fanatical palace clique. Through him
Tewfk Pasha, the minister of for
eign affairs, must negotiate all of
his business with the sovereign, and
PaSha Minister Leishman must negotiate to
reach Abdul Hamid But the minister of
foreign affairs is a purely perfunctory OFF,
cial, without any real power-has not even
the right of direct access to the sacred
presence of his majesty-and Mr.. Leish-
man until this week has not been al
i1Wed to see the s Sultan. Yet every
be submitted to Abdul Hamid before
final action is taken. Our minister com
menced negotiations a year and a half aga
in very delicate and diplomatic manner
asking that the school question be settled
by granting to America the rights of the
most favored nation. He dickered along in
this way until patience ceased to be a vir-
tue The President then reSorted to the
unusual method of communicating a per-
sonal request to the sultan. But so many
delays were interposed by the porte func-
tionaries In the delivery of the message,
and SO many forms respected in the manner
of its delivery. that even this shot straight
from the shoulder of our strenuous Presi-
dent lost its force before impinging finally
upon the brain of Abdul. Then came
succession of promises unkept and a re-
newal of demands made by our minister
just before the Turkish Lent, during which
period the sublime porte transacts no bust
ness. Mr.. Leishman. almost reaching the
point of desperation, ventured very close
to threat. The world still waits to learn
what the outcome will be.
Ambassador Necessary
Thus 1t is that our State Department ar
rives at the conclusion that we must have
an ambassador rather than a minister ac-
credited to the sublime porte. An ambas-
sador, the personal representative of the
ruler of his state. has direct access to
! the sovereign to whose court he is dis
| patched, whereas a minister Is empowered
| to negotiate only with the minister of for
eign affairs or secretary of state of The
| country to which he is sent. But to effect
| this change 1t Is necessary for Turkey and
| the United States to simultaneously elevate
| their respective ENJOYS, accredited one to
| the other This Turkey, on her part, re-
| fuses to do as yet. and as long she per-
ssts in her refusal we must let matters
I6St-OT worry dlOnS-aS tney are OF
| take the only alternative and create a pre-
cedent by sending an ambassador to a coun-
| try which honors us with minister only.
AS to whether her minister in Washing
ton is in good standing or not, Turkey ap-
| pears to be utterly Indifferent. Chekib Bey
| was sent here just prior to President Nc
! kinleys assassination and brought letters
| addressed to the martyred President But
| Mr.. Mckinley died before the Ottoman min
| lister had been presented to him. Upon Mr..
| Roosevelt's succession the State Depart
ment, according to precedent, asked the
various governments to furnish their diplo-
matte representatives with letters to tna
| new President, and all responded save the
| sublime porte. Hence Chekib Bey's name
| remains to this day at the foot of the diplO-
| matte list. among the new ministers select
| ed, but not yet arrived, and appended to
| his name is the designation appointed e.
| E. and NJ. p" But Chekib Bey had pre-
scented his credentials to the Secretary Of
| State and hence he can transact business
| with the department. Moreover, he has
| been entertained socially at the White
| House. Yet he is in the anomalous posi-
| ton of not being officially known to the
President as the Turkish minister. although
| personally known to Mr.. Theodore Roose-
| welt as Chekib Bey. The failure of the
porte to have him properly presented is be-
! lieved by some to be due to a belief in Con-
| stantinople that Mr.. Roosevelt represents
| merely an interregnum, and that he is not
| full-iedged President.
Plight Of Some Turkish Ambassadors.
While refusing to raise her minister here
| to the rank of ambassador, the sublime
| porte has insisted upon being represented
at the principal capitals of Europe by am
bassadors. who, of course, are expected to
maintain the dignity of their high office
| on a much more magnificent scale than its
ministers, sent only to what 1t regards as
| second-class powers. But it was said a
few years ago that the pashas and beys sent
to foreign capitals had had to whistle for
| their pay for more than a year and that
some Of the less oppulent among them
| were unable to find any merchants
| willing to trust them for the mere
necessities Of life. Tradesmen, of course,
understand that by virtue of the
extra-territorial rights Of foreign diplomats
| it is impossible to obtain either judgments
against them or attachments against their
property In Europe there have been stor-
les current-how true We can't say-that
| one Turkish ambassador had subsisted for
| months on bread and tea. save when in
vited out to dinner by colleagues and ac-
| ouaintances, and that another was unable
| to stir out of the house because he had
no boots to wear. There was more gossip
| in effect that all Of these representatives OF
| the Ottoman empire had gone on strike
together. declining to return to their posts
until their pay was forthcoming,
L r. ala a