File No. 5931/171.
Minister Jackson to the Secretary of State.
Teheran, February 12, 1908.
Sir: I have the honor to confirm the telegram sent you on the morning of the 9th instant, as follows:
Dasht Kurds, dissatisfied with Turkish treatment, are willing to return to Persian allegiance and obey orders of the Persian authorities, provided the Shah pardons and gives promise that there will be no further prosecution because of murdered missionary. In presenting letter of recall, my predecessor is said to have expressed satisfaction that the Labaree case was satisfactorily settled. I have been requested to confirm the settlement formally and to state that no further demand for punishment of accessories will be made by the American Government. Please instruct as soon as possible.
I have also to confirm the text of your reply, which was received yesterday, as follows:
We have already relinquished demand for punishment of accessories to murderers of Labaree, leaving Persian law to take effect if the murderers return to Persian jurisdiction. If the Persian Government believes high consideration of national welfare counsel nonprosecution, we will not raise objection.
To-day I called on the minister of foreign affairs (the Musher-ed-Dowleh) at his weekly reception, and left with him a note in which I stated that “the American Government will not raise any objection if the accessories to the murderers of Mr. Labaree should be pardoned”; that “my Government considers the case closed and it has already relinquished its demand for the punishment of these men, but it was anticipated that the Persian Government would punish them as a matter of course if they returned to Persian jurisdiction”; and that “if the Persian Government is of the opinion, however, that their pardon is advisable because of considerations of national welfare, no objection will be raised by the United States.” The minister thanked me warmly for this communication.
I shall now inform Mr. Doty, our consul at Tabriz, that the incident is closed and that no further demand for punishment of the men in question is to be made.
It is improbable that at this date any particular person could be proven to have been an accessory, and in view of the death of the actual murderer (in regard to which there can be no reasonable doubt) and the reparation already made, I think that we have acted wisely in relinquishing all further demand for punishment.
I have, etc.,