Minister Leishman to the Secretary of State.
Constantinople, March 12, 1906.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 1019, of February 21, 1906, inclosing copy of a dispatch addressed to the department by Consul-General Bergholz concerning the question of the claim of the American missionary established in Syria for the return of customs duties that may have been improperly collected, which supplements the statement inclosed in the department’s dispatch of December 4, 1905, upon this subject.
As the manner in which other governments treat this matter will no doubt have considerable weight in assisting the department in reaching a decision as to how this claim of the missionaries shall be handled, I will have to defer making a report until such time as I receive definite replies to the inquiries made at the several embassies.
I have, etc.,