File No. 867.48/640
The Secretary of State to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief 1
Gentlemen: With reference to a letter received from Dr. James L. Barton,2 under date of August 20,3 you are hereby informed that the Department recognizes your Committee as authorized to transmit relief funds to persons, other than enemy subjects, in Turkey, subject to such conditions and limitations as may be laid down by the Department, and with due regard to such legislation as may now or subsequently be in force. In general it may be said that individual remittances may be transmitted so long as these do not exceed $125 per person per month, and relief funds in bulk may be forwarded with the understanding that you will report to the Department monthly the amounts so transmitted. It is further understood that these funds shall be transmitted only through the Société de Banque Suisse at Geneva, its correspondent in Constantinople, and the neutral relief agents in Turkey mentioned in Doctor Barton’s letter. The Department reserves to itself the right to withdraw this authorization at any time.
It is expected that you will institute a system whereby, in the case of individual remittances, signed receipts will be returned from each individual payee, and whereby duplication of remittances to the same person in one month will be checked and prevented.
[Page 548]You are requested to address a letter to the Secretary of State confirming each of the points herein mentioned.
I am [etc.]
Assistant Secretary
- Letters authorizing in similar terms the transmission of relief funds to Palestine for distribution through the agency of Mr. Hoofien were sent to the Joint Distribution Committee, Aug. 24, and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs, Sept. 22. (File Nos. 867.48/638, 649.)↩
- Chairman of the Committee.↩
- Not printed.↩