Office of the Historian

File No. 763.72111/6862

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Persia ( Caldwell)1

[Telegram]
Washington, January 24, 1918, 10 a.m.

Your January 19, 8 a.m. Deny emphatically to Persian Government that United States is financing any military forces being organized at Urumiah. Also inform Persian Government that United States strongly sympathizes with desire of Persia to maintain its freedom and sovereignty and would not be a party to any act which would infringe thereon.

Polk
  1. The texts of this telegram and of the one which it answers were repeated on the same date to the Ambassador in Great Britain, in telegram No. 6340, referring to No. 6310 of Jan. 21, supra. The substance of the declaration was also reiterated to the Persian Legation in a memorandum of Feb. 14 (not printed), replying to further representations.↩