vention, is it not proper to have the said modification accepted by all the States concerned in the shape of an international instrument signed by their plenipotentiaries? The Federal Council adds that it would be all the more desirable to decide this question, as other States-Persia, for instance-might hereafter ask to be permitted to use other distinctive marks (the lion, the sun, etc.). Be pleased to accept, etc., HENRI MARTIN. [Inclosure.] The Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs to the President of Switzerland. [Translation.] SUBLIME PORTE, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, July 5, 1911. Mr. PRESIDENT: I had the honor to receive the note which your excellency saw fit to address to me on April 25, 1911, in relation to the Geneva Convention of July 6, 1906. The developments set forth on this subject by the Imperial Russian Government to the Legation of the Swiss Confederation at St. Petersburg have been examined by the Imperial Ottoman Government. As regards the first condition, the Imperial Government has already declared, in the dispatch of my department addressed to the President of the Swiss Confederation on August 26, 1907, No. 69916-38, that it accedes to the Geneva Convention of July 6, 1906, with the reservation that in its armies it will use the emblem of the Red Crescent to protect its ambulances; it also added that it would scrupulously respect the inviolability of the Red Cross flag. It goes without saying that by this declaration it consented to conform to all the clauses of said convention which prescribe scrupulous respect for the Red Cross, though adopting the Red Crescent as far as it was concerned. As regards the second point I can do no better than to repeat the terms of article 23 of the aforesaid convention in order to better determine the mode of employment of the Red Crescent. Thus, the emblem of the Red Crescent on a white background, as well as the words Red Crescent, may only be used, in time of peace or war, to protect or designate the sanitary formations and establishments and the personnel and matériel protected by this convention. As to the third point I am happy to note the good disposition of the Imperial Russian Government, tending to insure to the Red Crescent, in the countries participating in the Geneva Convention, the protection accorded the Red Cross. My Government is quite disposed to apply in its territory the provisions of article 27 in so far as reciprocal treatment is insured the emblem and denomination of the Red Crescent. In your note No. 189 of July 14, 1910, your excellency informed me that you had notified the Nations signing or indorsing the Geneva Convention of the notes exchanged between the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Legation, the political department of the Swiss Confederation,and the Imperial Ottoman Government on the subject of the protection of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. I should be much obliged to your excellency if you would advise me as soon as the other Nations aforementioned have answered, so that the Sublime Porte may be in a position to fulfill its engagements as stipulated in article 27 mentioned above. Please accept, Mr. President, the assurance of my very high regard. RIFAAT. TURKEY. EXPULSION OF C. TELFORD ERICKSON, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, FROM ELBASSAN, ALBANIA, BY TURKISH AUTHORITIES. File No. 367.112 Er 4/1. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. No. 259.] [Extract.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Constantinople, October 17, 1910. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation of a dispatch, dated the 17th ultimo,1 from the Austrian consul at Monastir, in the Province of Macedonia, addressed to the Austrian Embassy at Constantinople, and copies of two letters,' with inclosures, dated the 26th ultimo and the 5th instant, respectively, received at this embassy from Mr. W. W. Peet, treasurer of American Missions in Turkey, all of which relate to the expulsion from the town of Elbassan, Albania, of Rev. C. Telford Erickson, an American citizen, who was forced by the Turkish authorities to suddenly leave his home at that place and proceed with his family, under reported distressing circumstances, to the town of Monastir, without written order, or, apparently, any adequate reason. I beg to report that the facts as reported by the Austrian consul at Monastir, who is in charge of American interests, and which are supported by the statements of Mr. Erickson in his letters to Mr. Peet (inclosures 2 and 3)1 give evidence that the Turkish authorities at Elbassan have committed a grave injustice in peremptorily expelling a peaceful American citizen from his home without any apparent grounds upon which to base such action. Mr. Erickson, who is an American missionary, is reported to me to be a quiet and unoffending man of refinement and education. He is undoubtedly endeavoring to acquire property at Elbassan with the ultimate intention of establishing there a school and hospital under the auspices of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in Boston, Mass. After careful inquiry, I can ascertain the existence of no possible reason for his being subjected to such treatment as reported except that the Turkish authorities, looking upon this man in the light of a hindrance to, and as a witness of, the carrying out of certain harsh punitive measures they have lately been putting into execution against the Albanians, among whom, I am informed, he is much respected and liked, have adopted the above means of getting rid of him. It may also be suggested that the Ottoman Government might strongly object to the establishment of an American school at Elbassan, where the Albanian instead of Turkish language will in all probability be employed on account of its greater simplicity. The Ottoman Government is apparently deter 1 Not printed. mined that Turkish shall be the sole language of the schools in Albania. I have been informed by Mr. Peet, however, that the above missionary has not been engaged in teaching, pending the acquirement of school property. I beg also to call attention to the fact that Mr. Erickson was subject to very similar treatment by the Ottoman authorities at Tirana, in the year 1909, and that the case was taken up by this embassy with the Sublime Porte with the result that Mr. Erickson did not return to that place but took up his residence at Elbassan where he has since been endeavoring to purchase a piece of land, presumably for school and hospital purposes, and upon which he has already paid a sum of money, but to which he had not secured the title at the time of his expulsion from Elbassan. I understand that the stated reason upon which the Ottoman authorities based their treatment of Mr. Erickson at that time was that he was attempting to propagate Albanian literature written in the Latin characters. I beg to report to the Department that after having exhausted every means of obtaining information directly from the ministry of the interior and the ministry of war as to the state of affairs at Elbassan and the cause of the expulsion of the American missionary, I addressed a note verbale to the Sublime Porte, a copy and translation of which I have the honor to transmit herewith, in which I stated the facts of the case, requested that immediate orders be given to enable the return of Erickson and his family to Elbassan, at the same time reserving all rights, in case further demands are determined upon, and requested a full explanation from the authorities at Elbassan for their unwarranted action. No reply has been received to this communication. I subsequently spoke of the affair to both the grand vizier and the foreign minister; each expressed entire ignorance in the matter. The foreign minister remarked there had been much disturbance in that region and seemed to attach little importance to the occurrence, assuring me only that he would obtain information in regard to the same. In requesting instructions from the Department in the above matter, I most strongly advise that the Ottoman Government be held responsible for such damages as may be found to have been caused by any unwarranted treatment of this American citizen by the authorities at Elbassan, of whose actions in this matter a full explanation should be forthcoming, and that the immediate removal of the present restriction against his return to Elbassan should be insisted upon. Trusting the action already taken in this matter will meet with the Department's approval. I have, etc., HOFFMAN PHILIP. [Inclosure.] The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Constantinople, September 28, 1910. The American Embassy has the honor to bring to the serious attention of the Sublime Porte the following facts: Mr. Telford Erickson, an American citizen, who has peacefully resided at Elbassan for the past year, was suddenly and without apparent cause ordered by the authorities at that place to leave his home at Elbassan with his family and proceed at once to Monastir. He requested a written order, but this was denied him. He telegraphed to Constantinople for advice, but before time was allowed for a reply, he was on the 7th instant forced to leave Elbassan. with his sick wife and four young children, and after six days' fatiguing travel, part of which was on horseback, arrived at Monastir, where he now is. This embassy having lately received official information as to the exactitude of the above facts, and reserving all rights, begs to request that the imperial ministry for foreign affairs will cause immediate orders to be given to the authorities at Monastir and Elbassan that the return of this American citizen to the latter place shall not be prevented and, at the same time, to cause the said authorities to submit a full explanation of their unwarranted action in forcing this man from his home together with his invalid wife and four young children. File No. 367.112 Er 4/1. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Chargé d'Affaires. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 1, 1910. The action of the Ottoman Government is regarded by the Department as unwarrantable and in direct violation of our treaty rights. The embassy is instructed to press for immediate removal of present restraints against the return of Erickson to Elbassan, and to reserve at the same time all rights in regard to damages. File No. 367.112 Er 4/3. ADEE. The Secretary of State to the American Minister in temporary charge of the Embassy at Constantinople. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 28, 1910. The embassy is instructed to report what action has been taken on Department's telegram of November 1, 1910, also to investigate the reported arrest of Erickson at Monastir on the 20th ultimo and to take appropriate action. File No. 367.112 Er 4/4. KNOX. The American Minister in temporary charge of the Embassy at Constantinople to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Constantinople, November 29, 1910. The contents of Department's telegram of November 1, 1910, was brought to the attention of the Ottoman Government. Strong protest was made in regard to the arrest of Erickson at Monastir, and the Government promised immediate investigation. CARTER. File No. 367.112 Er 4/4. The Secretary of State to the American Minister in temporary charge of the Embassy at Constantinople. [Telegram—Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 30, 1910. Instructs to insist upon immediate reply to the representations made by the embassy in regard to the deportation of Erickson from Elbassan and to report the result to the Department by cable. File No. 367.112 Er 4/7. ΚΝΟΣ. The American Minister in temporary charge of the Embassy at Constantinople to the Secretary of State. No. 284.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Constantinople, November 30, 1910. SIR: With reference to the case of Mr. Telford Erickson, I have the honor to state for you further information the steps taken in the matter since Mr. Philip's dispatch of October 17. On the 25th of October Mr. Peet, of the American Bible House, received a telegram from Mr. Erickson stating that the latter had been arrested at Monastir, and, after two hours' detention, had been released through the intervention of the Austrian vice consul, and that the court-martial had ordered him to leave Monastir. I at once communicated with the Sublime Porte, protesting against this action on the part of the Turkish authorities, and at the same time demanded to be informed without delay upon what grounds these measures had been taken, and that meanwhile orders should be sent to stay the proceedings at Monastir. A copy of this note is herewith inclosed.1 Subsequently, having received a dispatch from the Austrian vice. consul at Monastir giving the details of the affair, I went in person. to see the minister for foreign affairs. It being Sunday, he was not to be found; and, in consequence, I had an interview with the undersecretary for foreign affairs, Couyoumdjian Effendi, to whom I vigorously protested, insisting that prompt and stringent orders should be given to the governor general at once to respect the rights of American citizens in general, and in the present case to give complete satisfaction to the consul. I asked that it be pointed out to the governor general that the existence of martial law in no way modified, as far as American citizens are concerned, the rights enjoyed by the latter under the treaty of 1830. He promised to take iminediate steps to have the matter promptly investigated, and since that time Mr. Erickson has not been further molested. A copy of my memorandum left with the Porte on this occasion is herewith inclosed.1 On November 2 the Department's telegram of the 1st of November was received. As the principal points were already under considera 1 Not printed. |