Mr. McDonald to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of the United States,
Teheran, Persia, January 22,
1894. (Received March 5.)
No. 61.]
Sir: I beg leave to transmit for your
information copies of two letters I have quite recently received from
the Rev. James W. Hawkes, an American missionary stationed at Hamadan,
asking me to use my good offices with the Government here to procure
from the Shah permission to rent premises and open a school for the
benefit of the Jews and Christians in the town of Kermanshah, a city a
little more than midway between here and Bagdad.
I also inclose a copy and translation of my letter to the prime minister
on this subject, to which there has yet scarcely been time for a
reply.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 61.]
Mr. Hawkes to
Mr. McDonald.
Kermanshah, Persia, December 19, 1893.
Dear Sir: In reply to a request from a
number of Jews of this city several times preferred in writing, and
at the expressed desire of the Christians residing here, my wife and
I are here for the purpose of starting a school for their children.
On my second visit to his excellency the Ameer-i-Nizam, governor of
this province, he informed me that his Government is not willing we
should establish a school here without first obtaining, through you,
permission from the central Government at Teheran.
Being ignorant that such a permission would be required, I did not
take the precaution to arm myself with said document before coming
down. Now I will be greatly obliged if you will make request in my
name, from the prime minister, for the necessary papers to meet the
case. Should it be demanded, I have no objection to restricting the
attendance of Moslem pupils to such as shall first obtain permission
of their own Government.
Hoping for a favorable answer,
I remain, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 61.]
Mr. Hawkes to
Mr. McDonald.
Kermanshah, Persia,
January 9,
1894.
Dear Sir: We have been here six weeks and
all our efforts to rent a house for the winter were ineffectual.
Finally we succeeded in effecting the lease of the house of Mirza
Ahad, Scrishtadar of the custom house, for a term of three years in
consideration of 50 tomans per year, one-half cash down and the
other half to be used in repairing the property next summer. I send
you herewith the papers pertaining to this lease.
[Page 487]
Now the said Mirza Ahad affirms he has sold the house and wishes us
to vacate. I tell him I will do so when the lease has expired. Will
you kindly obtain a line or two from the central Government
establishing us in our rights in this case, since I understand the
governor here, his excellency the Ameer-i-Nizam, is not likely to
sustain us without authority from the capital.
Hoping for a favorable reply,
I remain, etc.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 61.]
Mr. McDonald to
the Sadi Azam.
Legation of the United States,
Teheran, January 24, 1894.
Your Highness: The Rev. James W. Hawkes, an
American missionary, residing in Hamadan, having received several
very pressing invitations from the Jews and Christians in Kermanshah
to visit that city and open a school for the education of their
children, has now, accompanied by his wife, been in Kermanshah for
about six weeks, making inquiries into the condition and wants of
the children of these people, and he has come to the conclusion that
a school would be a great benefit and advantage to them.
Mr. Hawkes is now prepared to accede to the desire of these religious
bodies, and will undertake to provide the necessary funds and means
for the equipment and maintenance of the school; and he has asked me
to bring this matter to the notice of your highness, and on his part
most respectfully request that you will have the kindness to obtain
His Imperial Majesty’s gracious permission and sanction to rent
suitable premises, and to open the school.
Your highness will so readily admit that this is a most useful work
in satisfaction of a great need, that it is not, on my own part,
necessary to urge any plea on behalf of this proposal of Mr. Hawkes,
but I feel confident that I am justified in saying that the
privilege, now asked for by Mr. Hawkes, when granted will in no
sense be abused.
Permit me to renew, etc.,