Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-12
SAFETY IN TURKEY
UNDER NEW ORDER
Ottoman Consul General Says
Foreigners Will Be Fully
Protected.
MISSIONARY SOCIETIES
VIEW SITUATION CALMLY
Think Turkish Laws Will Safeguard
Colleges and Other American
Institutions There.

| Turkeys abrogation of the agreement
giving special privileges to the powers
| means that Americans will be fully as
| safe in the Ottoman empire as heretofore.
| If not safer. according to statement
by Djelal Munif Bey, Turkish consul gen.
eral at New York.
in short, this is case Of Turkey TAX
Ing over her own country he said. "And
| with Turkey in charge of her own coun-
| try the result will be that Americans and
other foreigners will be absolutely SAFE
Religious and school work conducted by
American missionary societies In Turkey
will not pe seriously affected by the
action of the Ottoman empire in abrogat-
ing treaties and conventions under which
foreigners in that country heretofore
have enjoyed extraterritorial rights, is
the belief of those active in foreign mis-
sionary work.
sympathizes With Turkey.
81 do not anticipate that our work IN
Turkey will be embarrassed in the least
by this move,' said the Rev. DR.. A. W.
Halsey, secretary Of the home board OF
missions of the Presbyterian Church
Turkey is only asking for home rule, just
az Ireland is asking it from England, and
the Philippines from the United states.
The only danger Is that the vicious ele-
ment might get control of the turkish
government, but that is not likely. Many
of the leaders among the Young Turks,
who are behind this movement, are
graduates from our schools. and their IN
fiuence will act as wholesome restraint
upon the Turkish people and tend TO
prevent mob rule"
The Presbyterian board Of foreign mis-
sions conducts large college at Beirut.
and has a number Of missions through
out Syria.
Cleveland H. Dodge, trustee of Rob
ert College in Constantinople, said he
thought the new order in Turkey would
not interfere with the school work IN
which he Is interested. I'VE pay taxes
in Turkey" he said, land expect to abide
by the laws of the country. Turkey can
hardly be blamed for wanting to throw
off the restraining yoke of the Euro
pean powers and assert her fndepend-
ence."
Doesn't Expect, Hardships.
NEW LONDON, n. H., September "a
James L. Barton, secretary of. the Amer
lean board of commissioners for foreign
missions, said regarding the abrogation
by Turkey of her capitulations granting
special privileges to foreign powers:
IT do not regard the removal of extra
bring special hardship on American mis-
sionaries and missions. Under strict in
ternational law American institutions
will be amply protected.
missionaries in Japan ten years ago
were leaders in pressing for removal Of
extraterritorial privileges. 1 am con-
fident they will not oppose this move
ment in Turkey If the party in power
will conduct the government in &C
cordance with laws that control civilized
nations. 1t will require time to adjust
and much patience on the part of both
Came as Surprise.
BOSTON. September 1.-THE announce
ment that the Turkish government had
abrogated the ancient capitulation at
fecting the rights of foreigners in the
Ottoman empire came as a great sur
prise to the officials of the American
board Of commissioners for foreign mis-
sions. as no .intimation of any such ac-
ton had been received by the board from
any of its 1872 missionaries in Turkey, ac-
cording to a statement issued by w. Z.
Strong. the editorial secretary.
ut is too early" said Mr.. Strong. "to
involved in this change Of procedure.
Manfestly it will disturb and make some
what apprehensive those who md them
selves suddenly stripped of the special
legal protection which their governments
have afforded them. But We incline to
think that Turkey does not mean to put
oppressive or unlawful hands on any
American missionary or merchant. or to
crowd out of her territory those whom
her best representatives have declared
have shown themselves the true friends
of her people.