Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Supplement 2, The World War

File No. 867.48/650

The Secretary of State to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief ²

Washington, October 3, 1917.

Gentlemen: With reference to previous correspondence, the Department desires to alter the formula of the authority given you to send money, subject to the observance of certain conditions, to persons other than “enemy subjects” in Turkey, in order to read “to send money, subject to the observance of certain conditions, to the subject races in the Ottoman Empire.” The effect of this alteration is to prevent the forwarding of money to enemy subjects or their allies, a distinction being made between the subject races in Turkey (i.e., Armenians, Syrians, Jews, etc.) and the Turks themselves.

Please also note that the limit of $125 per month applies not only to individuals, but to the individual’s immediate family as well.

I am [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:

William Phillips

Assistant Secretary

2. The same, on the same date, to the Joint Distribution Committee and the Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs.