Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20
TURKEY AND THE CAPITULATIONS

A dispatch from Constantinople an
nounces that responding to the note of
the grand vizier abrogat-
Protest OF ing the capitulations the
ambassadors OF some Of
1o"s' the powers had presented
a note protesting against the Turkish
decree" Who were some of the pow
ers? Which the one or more which
had failed to join In the note of pres
entation? A later dispatch answered
the queries:
In the note to the Turkish govern
ment replying to the notification Of
the sublime porte of the abrogation
of the capftulations involving tho ex-
traterritorial rights and privileges of
foreigners in Turkey, it is set forth
| that as these capitulations are a mat
ter OF treaty, the abrogation will not
be recognized without the consent of
all the parties to the treaty.
THE texts of the replies made
by the ambassadors for Great Brit
are Identical They point out tina,
the capithlatory regime in Turkey
is not an autonomous institution
of the Turkish empire. but an issue
of international treaties. diplomatic
divers kind. Consequently. this regime
can be modified only on the basis of
an understanding with the contracting
powers, and failing such an under
standing before October next the
| ambassadors would be unable to recog
nize the executing force beginning on
that date of the unilateral decision of
| the sublime porte"
1t will be remarked that Great Brit
| ain heads the list of the powers that
protes st against
England Was Turkeys act of
Lately Willing. ironv of the z,tu ae
ton will be understood by those who
| have read the last British report on
Egypt. in which the British pro-consul
and commissioner recommends not
only the abrogation of the capitula-
tions. but the abolition of the mixed
| tribunals or international courts
abrogation and abolition necessary to
the assumption of the British protect
crate over Egypt. England's situation
in Egypt. never logical or just, is now
| awkward and contradictory.
So long as England was a looker-on
| In Egypt and had not yet acquired the
military occupation to which she as
PRED, the capftulations and the
mixed courts appeared to her as excel
lent and necessary institutions. Sew
eral months ago. however, when
things seemed ripe to assume the pro-
| tectorate over Egypt, the government
at London and the British press and
reviews inaugurated preliminary
| campaign against capitulations and
courts.
1t is interesting to remark, since Ger
many is not named among the powers
| who have signed the noe Of prot estat on
against Turkeys ahrosation of the CAPT.
| tulations. what the Morn ng Post of Lon
den said in an article entitled "The
England The writer pretaced his ar
| ticle by the declaration that the abroga-
| ton of the capitulations would require
| the adhesion of Germany.
have rarely been free from political in
| huences; 1t would be idle
| Political to claim that the reputa-
| ra tion of these courts for
| tnnuences. real independence of pres
| sure and intrigue has grown with
time. and of the actual process OF
decay the body has given direct evil
dence. Some two years ago the cir
|
resigned led to public recrimination In
print between men who had just ceased
| to be colleagues which did grave dis
| service to the cod name of internationa
justice in Egypt
The real nature of this scandal does
| not appear yet it would be difficult OF
| England, who has occupied Egypt mill
| tarily for thirty-two years, to deny mel
| responsibility for conditions which are
l -roya Ia lnJ1
| The records of the State. Department
| will sustain the charge made by the
| London Post that grave injury mas
| been done to the good name of inter-
| pertinent to show here because it
| proves that the native element in the
| mixed courts in Egypt has failed to i'm
| prove upon the regime of the capitula-
| TONS and for the same reason the ma
tive element in Turkey would fail
| likewise.
| In 1896, for example. the State De-
| partment at Washington had occasion
| to ask the Egyptian government for a
| certain decree necessary to substan-
| tiate the claim of an American citizen
| in an action in the mixed courts. MT
| Penfield, then United States diplomatic
agent in Cairo, transmitted the de-
n1and for the document. and the Brit
| ish financial adviser" and the Egyp-
tan financial minister replied that
| mo such document existed" MI Pen
| a.,
| minister's malevolence in the matter,
| insisted, and finally the document was
procured, but only through publica-
| ton and the offer of reward.
| This act of shameless turpitude or
the part of the Egyptian official might
have provoked a demand for an ex-
| PLANTATION by the United States. 1t Is
| cited here in confederation of the Lon
don Post charges that there was
pressure and intrigue" and direct
| evidence of decay in the mixed courts
The apologists for Turkeys summary
abrogation of the capitulations do not
appear to have a very clear sense o.
| the Turks idea of judicial tribunals,
| Notwithstanding the practice of such
| Justice in the states of the Balkans
| prior to the recent war of the Bal
kans One Of these apologists says:
| ..It was conceivable that good might
accrue if the government made en-
| lightened use of this added sovereign
| ty by placing the administration OF
! Justice upon a modern plane by pro-
tecting the Christian and other nom
Iohammedan peoples in the enjoyment
of their full rights
Turkey has been and is still most
doubtful government to make any en-
lightened use of justice
Real Rulers as long as it remains
in the nraSanf transit