Evening journal., 1914-09-15
Our MisfranSIafed
Treaty With Turkey
OFrom the New York SUM

Moreover, the mistranslation was
not the performance of Oriental
guile. Turkey was in no way 10
blame for the inaccurate rendering
which became the source Of number
less arguments between the two gov
crnments as to what the treaty really
meant. The story Of the accident is
told I'm one of the official communi-
cations OF Secretary Hamilton Fish;
Mr. Charles Rhind. who as special
agent Of the United states proceeded
TO Turkey i'm 1929 for tho purpose o.
negotiating the treaty employed on
arriving at COnstantinople, ono Ma
voni as his draROman. A trellch
version Of the Turkish by this Ma
voni and another in tine same lang
uage by another hand accompanied
the original treaty sent hither ltc
Washington by Mr.. Rhiud II is
presumed that neither Of these ver-
sions was entirely satisfactory 10 MI.
Van Buren,, then Secretary of state
for. pursuant 10 his direction, Mr,
/ William r.. Hodgson. then employed
/ I'm the department and afterWnfd us
official translator, made another
translation. which purports TO have
been from the original Turkish. II IS,
however. obvious on inspection Thar
Mr.. Hodgsons translation is not from
the Turkish original, but seems to be
/ compounded from the two French ver-
sions above referred to, both Of which
err. as alleged by the Turkish gov
4ernment, and as the other translations
recently made plainly show.
Later in 1877. Secretary Evarts for
mally admits the same thing IN "A
note TO Aristarchi Bey:
81 am directed in the first place by
the President to admit, on the parl
OF the government of the United
; States. that the United States are
bound by the Turkish text of the
treaty of 1880, which was signed IN
that toxt alone"
The admission. perhaps, on the par
Of our government has not always
been quite so explicit, but the iacI
seem to be, Ia the first place. tha'
there is no reason whatever icr I'M
putting bad faith to Turkey IN this
surprising business: if we did no
really get what We thought VIC were
getting I'm the agreement "of perpot
ual duration" our own Mr.. Hodgson
inconvenience or careflessness was Il
blame and. in the second place IN
concessions as to right of eXtrater
. ritorial trial now summarily exiting
uishSd we're not what for years thi
, nation had thought them to be- bu
? merely the same as those accorde
( to the nation more favored; and al
. such rights or usages are now equal
a., ly swept away by Turkeys new POI
icy toward foreigners.
But however much or little of spe
ciaI privilege in he matter Of judi
cial procedure we lose by Turkey
, repudiation of the treaty of 1880 an
] the other existing conventions, ther
2 is reason for grave concern aDou
a the effect OF her new departure upo
e American interests OF another sol
o. represented by the great missionar
e. and EDUCATIONAL plants established b
r American energy. thanks TO the tolel
r ant Ottoman policy of the past VIVA
n is 10 be the future. for intsance,
Roberts College on the Bosphoru
IS of the girls school formerly at SCI
1t tari. of the Syrian Protestant COLES
l. az Beirut? What is behind this ri
IF expected move of the Turkish goyer
l. ment-merely a self-respecting d.
l. sire to assert full national groWl
l. as in the case of Japan. with respe
r. to extraterritoriality or preparati'
,s for a readjustment of foreign rel
Is tions and the elimination OF all IA
s. ored" nations except one, or pc
haps two?