File No. 861.48/580

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chairman of the War Trade Board ( McCormick)

Sir: The Department acknowledges the receipt of your letter of January 18, 1918,1 addressed to Mr. Grew, requesting an expression of opinion as to the policy of the Department in certain matters relating to foreign relief, and begs leave to reply as follows:

1. Constantinople

(a)
General relief. Approved in principle if sent by the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief through its agents in the Ottoman Empire to the subject races of Turkey. Should other organizations desire to undertake this class of relief, the Department, before concurring, would prefer to receive definite information as to the channels and agencies of distribution to be employed. Remittances to be devoted specifically to the support of soup kitchens in Constantinople, however, are approved.
(b)
Individual remittances. Approved in principle if for members of the subject races in Turkey and if lists of the names and addresses of the payees as well as the names and addresses of the senders are submitted to the Department for examination before the issuance of licenses. The Department considers that no individual remittance should exceed $125, and that not more than that amount should be sent to any one person or family per month.

2. Roumania

(a)
General relief.
(b)
Individual remittances. Approved if destined for those parts of Roumania not occupied by the enemy. For the occupied portion of the country, the Department, before concurring, would prefer to receive definite information as to the channels and agencies of distribution to be employed, and, in the case of individual remittances, to receive lists of the names and addresses of the payees as well as the names and addresses of the senders, in order that the Roumanian Minister in Washington might be consulted.

3. Asia Minor

(a)
General relief. Same answer as 1(a).
(b)
Individual remittances. Same answer as 1(b).

4. Syria and Palestine Not Occupied by British Forces

(a)
General relief. Same answer as 1(a).
(b)
Individual remittances. Same answer as 1(b).

5. Bulgaria

The Department desires to reserve an expression of opinion under this heading but would be glad to learn the amount of the remittances for which licenses have been applied.

[Page 554]

The application of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church for license to transmit $1,000 monthly to Bulgaria to carry on their mission work in that country has the Department’s approval.

I am [etc.]

Frank L. Polk
  1. Not printed.