File No. 704.6291/10
The Minister in Persia (Caldwell) to the
Secretary of State
No. 105]
Teheran
,
November 24, 1915.
[Received December 27.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
translation of Persian Foreign Office note of yesterday, notifying me of
the decision of the Persian Government and Shah to remain at Teheran for
the present, instead of moving to Isfahan, as intended.1
To-day a representative of the Foreign Office called to express the
Persian Government’s and His Majesty’s appreciation and thanks
[Page 996]
for this Legation agreeing to
accept for safe-keeping the Foreign Office archives and the Shah’s
valuable personal effects.
Herewith also copy of communications simultaneously received from the
British and the Russian Ministers (see my cable November 241). These Ministers and their respective Governments
have made the same objection to the Spanish Minister having charge of
Austrian interests.
As previously reported the chancellor of the German Legation, with
several German subjects, mostly women, occupy a garden and house
adjoining our Legation and under our care.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 1]
The British Minister in Persia (Marling) to the American Minister (Caldwell)
My Dear Colleague: I have the honour to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th instant, in which
you were so good as to inform me that, acting on the instructions of
your Government, you had assumed protection of German and Turkish
interests in parts of Persia occupied by Russian troops. I must
confess that this communication has caused me much surprise, and
having informed my Government thereof, I have now been directed to
reply that, inasmuch as there has been no rupture of relations
between those two countries and Persia, I fail to understand why the
protection of Turkish and German interests in certain parts of
Persia should be placed in the hands of the representative of a
third power. There is nothing new in the presence of Russian troops
in North Persia; and the violent agitation conducted against the
interests of Russia and her allies by German agents, which as you
must be aware has resulted in the perpetuation of most serious
outrages in various parts of this country, has made the presence of
the troops and their recent reinforcement essential for the
protection of foreign life and property from the dangers which
threaten them. The Persian Government recognizes the perfectly
justifiable purposes for which the Russian Government ordered the
movement of its troops to a position whence immediate aid could be
rendered in case of necessity. In these circumstances I am precluded
by the instructions of my Government from accepting the announcement
contained in your letter.
Believe me [etc.]
[Enclosure 2]
The Russian Minister in Persia (Etter) to the American Minister (Caldwell)
Teheran,
November 24, 1915.
Mr. Minister and Dear Colleague: In
continuance of my letter dated November 17, in which I took note of
the information that you have accorded your protection to German and
Turkish subjects, I have the honor, by order of my Government, to
notify you that we cannot recognize the right of neutral powers to
assume the protection of German and Turkish subjects, since
diplomatic relations between Persia and these two nations have not
been broken off.
Please accept [etc.]
