File No. 5063.
Minister Jackson to the Secretary of State.
Athens, February 23, 1907.
Sir: I have the honor to report that I have just received a call from a certain Paul de Frontac de Richelaud, who states that he is a Liberian subject, and who wished me to use my good offices to enable him to visit Turkey. Mr. de Frontac had no papers which showed his political status in any way, and I was unable to do anything for him beyond speaking of his case to my Turkish colleague and asking him to do what he could. I have no reason to believe that Mr. de Frontac is anything except what he claims to be. I understand that he has been in Greece for some time and that he has interested himself in the Macedonian question, in regard to which he has written articles for the French and Swiss newspapers. In any event, however, I should not have felt at liberty to take any official action in his behalf.
Similarly, not long ago, I was asked to give a passport to a Mexican lady who wished to go to Constantinople. Altogether, it is not infrequent that requests for assistance (especially of a financial nature) are made to this legation or to the consulate-general in this city by persons representing themselves to be citizens of South American countries who have no official of their own nationality to whom they could appeal. In such cases I have always been glad to do what was possible, but, in the absence of instructions from the department, I have never felt at liberty to take any official action.
I have, etc.,