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You are requested to address a letter to the Secretary of State confirming each of the points herein mentioned.

I am [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:

WILLIAM PHILLIPS

Assistant Secretary

File No. 867.48/644

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Saloniki (Horton)

[Telegram]

WASHINGTON, September 1, 1917.

For Doctor Ryan [from American Red Cross]:

Red Cross through State Department is arranging to purchase everything serviceable in Caesar's cargo at Alexandria and requesting British authorities to forward immediately to Saloniki, consigned to American Red Cross with directions to advise you. American Red Cross.

LANSING

File No. 811.142/2332

The Secretary of State to the Consul at Alexandria (Garrels)

[Telegram]

WASHINGTON, September 5, 1917. At the request of Red Cross ask British authorities if they can provide quick transportation to Saloniki for cargo discharged from Caesar. If transportation can be provided make immediate arrangements to forward all serviceable cargo for relief situation Saloniki.1 LANSING

File No. 867.48/650

The Secretary of State to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief 2

WASHINGTON, October 3, 1917. GENTLEMEN: With reference to previous correspondence, the Department desires to alter the formula of the authority given you to send money, subject to the observance of certain conditions, to persons other than "enemy subjects" in Turkey, in order to read "to send money, subject to the observance of certain conditions, to the

1In a telegram of Sept. 25 the Consul reported: "Entire consignment now loading." (File No. 811.142/2391.)

The same, on the same date, to the Joint Distribution Committee and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs.

subject races in the Ottoman Empire." The effect of this alteration is to prevent the forwarding of money to enemy subjects or their allies, a distinction being made between the subject races in Turkey (i.e., Armenians, Syrians, Jews, etc.) and the Turks themselves. Please also note that the limit of $125 per month applies not only to individuals, but to the individual's immediate family as well. I am [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:

WILLIAM PHILLIPS
Assistant Secretary

File No. 012/16396d

The Secretary of State to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief 1

WASHINGTON, October 16, 1917. GENTLEMEN: With reference to the Department's letter to you of August 24, 1917, authorizing you to send money, subject to the observance of certain conditions and with due regard to the provisions of pending legislation, to certain destinations abroad, the Department now begs leave to inform you that this authorization has automatically become nullified through the provisions of the so-called Trading with the Enemy Act (H.R. 4960).

The Department is taking up with the War Trade Board, in which is vested the authority to grant licenses, the question of licensing your Committee to continue its work along the lines formerly indicated. Until further advised by the Department, however, you should discontinue the transmission of all lists, drafts, transfers or other communications to the destinations specified in the authorization previously accorded.

I am [etc.]

File No. 012/16396d (Suppl.)

For the Secretary of State:
WILLIAM PHILLIPS
Assistant Secretary

The Secretary of State to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief 2

WASHINGTON, October 26, 1917. GENTLEMEN: With reference to its letter of October 16, 1917, the Department informs you that according to advice received from the

'The same, mutatis mutandis, on the same date, to the Joint Distribution Committee and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs. (File Nos. 012/1639a, 1639e.)

2 The same, on the same date, to the Joint Distribution Committee and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs. (File Nos. 012/16396a Suppl., 16396e Suppl.)

War Trade Board you should apply direct to that Board with a view to obtaining a license to permit you to send drafts, transfers of credit, lists of payees or other communications abroad in connection with the work formerly undertaken by your Committee under this Department's authorization.

I am [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:

WILLIAM PHILLIPS
Assistant Secretary

File No. 867.48/698

The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Phillips)

No. 567

WASHINGTON, December 3, 1917.
[Received December 7.]

DEAR MR. PHILLIPS: The Foreign Office have been shown a letter dated August 24 last, which you addressed to the American Committee for the Relief of Armenians and Syrians, 1 Madison Avenue, New York City, and in which you appear to have informed the Committee that the State Department recognised them as authorised to transmit funds in Turkey to persons other than enemy subjects, under the conditions and within the limits which might be fixed by the Department and in conformity with all laws, present and future. In general, it might be said that individual remittances might be made if they did not exceed $125 per person per month, and that the sending of funds might be grouped together if the Committee would undertake to make a monthly report to the Department of sums thus transmitted. It was further understood that the funds would be transmitted solely through the Société de Banque Suisse à Genève, their correspondent at Constantinople and neutral agents in Turkey mentioned in Dr. James L. Barton's letter to you of August 20.1 The Department reserved to itself the right of withdrawing this authorization at any moment. You added that you reckoned on the Committee's instituting a system by which, in the case of individual remittances, the receipts of each beneficiary would be furnished, and repeated remittances to the same person in the same month would be prevented.

The Foreign Office point out to us that, as the United States of America are not nominally at war with Turkey, the condition as to non-enemy destination is quite without effect in the case in question. They further point out that, as far as His Majesty's Government are concerned, all subjects of the Ottoman Empire, of whatever race or 'Not printed.

religion, are enemy subjects, and that funds transmitted to these people will eventually tend to help Turkey to prolong the war.

I send you the above, for your information and consideration, as an expression of opinion made to me by the Foreign Office, in the event of your desiring to reconsider the position.

Believe me [etc.]

CECIL SPRING RICE

File No. 867.48/698

The Assistant Secretary of State (Phillips) to the British
Ambassador (Spring Rice)

WASHINGTON, December 18, 1917. DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR: Replying to your letter No. 567 of December 3, I may say that we have very carefully considered the whole question of permitting the transmission of relief funds to the subject races of the Ottoman Empire and that within certain limits we believe that such remittances should be allowed. The grounds upon which we have based our policy in this respect seem to us to be sound, not only from the humanitarian point of view but from that of expediency as well. We feel that the material benefit to the Turkish Government is insignificant compared to the moral and political advantage to our own cause which must result from helping these starving races within reasonable limits.

In answer to a recent inquiry from London, we are cabling today a statement of the general policy of our Government covering this question of relief and I am glad to enclose, for your information, a paraphrase of our telegram, which will be brought to the attention of the Foreign Office by the Embassy in London.1 Believe me [etc.]

WILLIAM PHILLIPS

File No. 867.48/703

The British Ambassador (Spring Rice) to the Counselor for the Department of State (Polk)

No. 646

WASHINGTON, December 26, 1917.
[Received December 27.]

MY DEAR MR. COUNSELLOR: I noticed in the newspapers that the Jews of this country with their usual generosity were sending money to be used in the relief of their co-religionists in the Holy Land, and I was, indeed, approached on the matter by one of them.

1Paraphrase not printed; telegram to London, No. 6066, Dec. 19, ante, p. 525.

In reply to enquiries which I made at London by telegraph, I have been informed that it is proposed to send the eminent Doctor Wise [Weizmann] at the head of a small committee to organize relief measures, but that in the meantime there does exist a body named the "Special Committee " under the leadership of a Mr. Jack Mossui [Mosseri?] which has its offices at the British Headquarters in Cairo, and that this is the best channel through which at the present time assistance can be rendered: the amounts forwarded ought to be limited, it was added, to such sums as are absolutely indispensable for the most pressing necessities.

I should be greatly obliged if you would bring these facts to the knowledge of the parties concerned, and if you would lend me your assistance, so that the desires of the British authorities, who are doing all that is in their power to cope with the situation, may be duly heeded and their work accordingly facilitated. Believe me [etc.]

CECIL SPRING RICE

File No. 867.48/703

The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Spring Rice)

WASHINGTON, January 5, 1918.

MY DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR: I thank you for your letter of December 26, with regard to relief measures in Palestine, occupied by British forces, and have informed the Joint Distribution Committee and the Provisional Committee for General Zionist Affairs, of the contents of your letter.

The Department telegraphed to the American Ambassador in London on December 12,1 directing him to ascertain from the British Government what total sums of relief money might be sent monthly into Palestine, but has as yet received no reply thereto. The Department has, however, noted the statement in your letter that the amounts forwarded ought to be limited and has conveyed this information to the War Trade Board which is competent to issue licenses for such remittances.

We shall gladly lend you our assistance so that the desires of the British authorities may be duly heeded and the Department will be glad at any time to receive further suggestions as to the desires of the British Government in this connection.

I am [etc.]

1 Telegram not printed.

ROBERT LANSING

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