File No. 891.48/65
For the information of the Department I give you herewith carbon copy of
the letter I have written in response to this request.
[Enclosure]
The Secretary of the American Committee for
Armenian and Syrian Relief (
Vickrey) to
the Persian Chargé (
Ali-Kuli Khan)
Your Excellency: I want to express to you
our Committee’s deep appreciation of the message which we received
from our Department of State, and also of the letter you sent to us
expressing the appreciation of your Government of services which
representatives of our Committee have been privileged to render in
Persia.
I assure you that it will be our pleasure to continue to render any
service within our power along humanitarian lines, and as an
expression of good will and friendship for your people.
I desire to report to you that at a recent meeting of our Committee
it was voted to make this humanitarian service more effective, by
offering to send at our expense additional relief workers. For this
purpose we now have under appointment, if acceptable to your
Government, a commission of experienced educators, financiers and
philanthropists, who will be glad to render any service that may be
within their power.
I understand that both Doctor Judson and Doctor
Cook have conferred with you concerning
this commission, and have doubtless discussed with you the
personnel, dates of sailing, etc.
[Page 569]
This commission as at present contemplated consists of:
- Dr. Harry Pratt Judson, President of
the University of Chicago, as Director
-
Wilfred M. Post, M.D., formerly in
charge of the American Hospital in Konia, Asia Minor
-
Wilbur E. Post, M.D., member of the
medical faculty of the University of Chicago
-
Joseph W. Cook, M.D., formerly in
charge of the American Hospital at Teheran
- Prof. A. V. W. Jackson, of Columbia
University
- Mrs. A. V. W. Jackson
-
E. W. McDowell, formerly of
Tabriz
-
Roland S. Vaile, expert agriculturist
from University of California
-
F. Tredwell Smith, of Yale
University
-
Livingston Bentley, Princeton
University
-
Harold R. Holmes, Cornell College,
civil engineer
-
Leland Rex Robinson, Columbia
University
The last nine on the above list have already sailed from the Pacific
Coast and are now in Japan or China. Doctor
Judson, the two Doctors Post, and possibly
Mr. Maurice Wertheim, a well-known New York
business man, will be prepared to sail as soon as the necessary
permits and passports are received.
We will be pleased to receive from you any advice which you may have
with reference to service that the above commission may render in
Persia.
You will also be interested in knowing that our Committee is now
seeking incorporation by special act of Congress, under the new name
of the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. In any
correspondence with your Government you may perhaps prefer to use
this new name rather than our old one.
Respectfully yours,
[No signature indicated]
