741.91/24: Telegram
The Minister in Persia (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 3, 4.08 a.m.]
170. Following has been received from Consul Paddock, Tabriz.
“An extract of the British agreement with Persia has been published here and has been received with great disfavor by all classes with the exception of certain parties interested and others, such as some of merchant class, who expect to profit thereby, but there has been no open opposition up to the present as it is generally believed and hoped that Persian Mejliss will decline to ratify the agreement. British Consul is making every effort to influence Persian public opinion in favor of the agreement and therefore cannot be expected to sympathize with our Urumiah investigation7 or any intervention in behalf of Christian interests at the present moment. The majority of intelligent Persians here realize that some form of foreign control and direction was inevitable and to be desired and they would have welcomed such on the part of the United States or even France but they mistrust British designs and feel the form of the agreement and the manner in which it was obtained offer no guarantees against an exclusive British policy at variance with the principles of the League of Nations and other undertakings of the peace treaty.”
- A proposed joint investigation by the American and French Governments of the disturbances and massacres of Christians at Urumia during 1918 and 1919 (File No. 891.4016/52).↩