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of intimidation, fine, imprisonment and expulsion over forty schools were closed, and remain so. Also police were sent to intercept children on their way to schools. Caradawar near Mersine, with a school of one hundred and eight Moslem children was thus threatened and our work destroyed. My contention is that the Turks have rendered the Berlin Treaty nil by these various methods. Only schools in domiciles of foreigners remain intact. This last move is against what remains of our work.
The telegram says for us to surrender the girls if they are Turkish subjects. The Honorable Minister is more generous to the Turks then they had asked him to be. They asked the privilege of taking children of Moslem parentage but the Minister concedes them the right of demanding all Turkish subjects. They may ask all our pupils and we are commanded to give them up one and all on the mere demand of the proper civil authorities!
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Thus everything is rendered subservient to their devastating policy. Our endowments of not less than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in America, and about fifty thousand Dollars worth of real estate here, besides the furnishing, are all to be rendered futile should this mischievous policy be allowed.
Again perhaps one may ask, if it is proper at such a time as this to send an open telegram by which methods of demolishing our work are suggested to those who wish us ill.
The British Ambassador has decided that no school having fully complied with the legal requirements may be molested. And that no British school may be closed without the knowledge and consent of the British Ambassador. Should United States citizens have their rights restricted in a manner by which all our schools can be closed definitely, by a policy which scarce has even a transparent covering?
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No, Dear Sir, I take this as the proper time and occasion to demand equal privileges and rights with those of other nations who are in the same calling. We have made our investments in good faith relying upon rights guaranteed by the treaty. Leaving out of view the higher aims and motives of our work it has a mercantile aspect. Is it right from even this view to let all the rights and privileges solemnly guaranteed to us go by default?
I wish to open every school that was registered before and to have those in our company freed from intimidation. I do not like the insinuation against our Government in the advise given on every hand, and even by friendly officials, to put them under British protection. Do you Sir?
May we not also ask why our domicile in Mersine is singled out of many and made an exception of Or is the order a general one to all American schools?
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I do not think it amiss to understand before taking further steps. The other American Missions about us have not had any such demands made upon them yet. Nor have the French nor the British.
Another point, is simply restraining the Valy of Adana from execution of his mischievous threats an adequate adjustment of the matter especially where his officials have defamed our honorable Minister by saying that he had authorized the violation of our domicile and was in full sympathy with the Valy's purposes? Allow me to suggest that it is not. He ought to be made an example of as a warning to others. His immediate removal from office should be at least one part of the adjustment.
Now while the massacre sentiment is rife with Moslems, and horrible cases of rape occurring in Hadjin, Marash and Aintab and other places it is very necesssary to take strong precautionary measures.
Rev. J. C. Martin says that rape
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on Christians by Moslems is of almost weekly occurrence. Fifteen Turks recently abused a woman and her daughter in Aintab till they were so injured that they did not recover. They are well known to resort to this constantly in times of war and massacre. It is a favorite method with them of terror and of vengeance. Adequate measures ought to be taken to secure the safety of the many ladies in the interior while it may be done and ere a store of regrets be prepared.
I had hoped to prepare a number of despatches with each subject on a different sheet, but being very feeble in health and the steamer coming a day sooner than it was expected I could not do it.
Praying God to establish right and overthrow all wrong
I am, yours respectfully,
(Sig). D. Metheny per R. J. Dodds