New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-19
TURKEY AND THE UNITED stan,
Why We Should Have Voice in n. r.,
of the Ottoman Empirs
To the Editor of Tho Tribune.

q. 49,
avoid becoming one of the bellirsr.,.s
Turkeys participation in the war r;v.. -
the United States the right and Il NAV -
say duty to join in the great peace eo,,.-
ence which may be nearer at hand Tia, 4.
generally realized.
This right, this duty, is based upon ~.
"capitulations" entered into between ~.
United States and the Ottoman Empr. :.
far back as 1880. and which have rem.,,.s
in force since that time until Tur,.x,,
plunge into the vortex of the war. vl,.l
she prefaced by serving notice upon a..
United States, Great Britain, France. Ru,,,.
Germany and Austria Hungary, with all =,
whom she had similar capitulations TIA.
they were abrogated
For obvious reasons the last named coun,r..
have, so far as is known, preserved a MN.
committal attitude concerning their ally.
pronunciamento, but the United States ssrysl
notice upon the Turkish government that a
does not acquiesce in her act and does not
recognize that Turkey has q right to sbro.
gate this treaty, or that its action. bslns
unilateral, has any effect upon the right
and privileges of the United States and Ia
citizens in Turkey.
The "capitulations" in question are bassl
upon a certain class of absolute sovsrsisu
rights, known as the rights Of extra terri,
torialty"; that is, citizens Of the Unitsd
States residing in turkey are governed IN
most respects by the laws of the United
States, and not by the laws governing sub
jects of the Ottoman Empire.
This unusual right requires a brief q.
PLANTATION. Beginning in 1880, the United
States entered into treaties Of extra-tsrri.
toriality, by which it attained certain class
of absolute sovereign rights in a number Of
countries in Asia, Africa, Southeastern Eu.
rope and the East Indies, and at the present
time still possesses them not only in Turkey,
but in China, Morocco, Egypt, Abyssinis,
Oman, Persia and Siam. When the United
States began to have commercial and other
relations with these countries il found that
all European countries doing business with
them possessed these "extra-territorial"
rights, and was obliged to enter into treaties
with the same object in view, to wit, To 70.
tain jurisdiction over those of its eitizens
residing in these countries, and giving It's
consuls judicial power over cases affecting
American citizens.
turkey mas no IlBuJ 70 lhhe away
from the United States the sovereignty
which the latter country possesses over
American citizens in Turkey than Spain
would have TO recall the transfer to the
United States of the sovereignty over the
inhabitants of the Philippine Islands.
The existence of American extra-terri-
torial rights in Turkey, taken in connection
with the view as to the character Of such
rights held by all the leading countries Of
Europe, has q most important bearing which
ought to be clearly understood by all the
citizens of this country upon the attitude
which the United States has the right TO
take upon the various questions connected
with the present great war.
Since the United States has a certain kind
of sovereign rights in the extra-territorial
countries engaged in the ware. e., Turkey,
Egypt and Gin reality if not in name) Persia
it manifestly has such an interest in all the
provisions affecting those countries contained
in any treaty of peace as to justify It IN
claiming the right to be represented in any
international conference which passed upon
questions relative to those countries. II is
equally manifest that the United States has
no claim to be represented in any interna-
tional conference which deals with matters
affecting belligerent countries in which !!
does not possess such belligerent rights.
The difference between the relation tho
United States bears to bellgerent countries
in which extra-territorial rights exist and
the relations which il bears TO other belliger'
ent countries is a very striking one, and the
fact of this difference is one which may
become, of very vital Importance not only 70
the United States, but also the world a.
large. 1t need hardly be added that IL oil
questions involving bellgerent countries are
settled by single great international con-
gress delegates from the United STATES
would have the right to speak and vote Oh
all questions affecting extrs-territorial eoun-
tries, while having no right TO take any part
in matters affecting countries in which extra
territorial rights do not exist, unless lnYitso
to do otherwise.
The various Presbyterian organizations
and various other religious denominations
have also extensive interests in Turkey. Inc
work and interests Of the American Jews 10
Turkey are we'll known 70 every one. Az
these interests depend for their security
upon the continuation Of American extra
territorial rights in Turkey.
For these and other reasons the on'No
States should insist upon representation ID
an international congress TO which IS g'es
the power of settlement Of the future .,
Turkey, and one feels that if in the emo
Turkey will have any friendship shown ner
it will be through the efforts OF neu.''
America. ESTHER DE PUY BRYAN
New York, Feb. 2, 1917.
n