Office of the Historian

891.51A/413

The Minister in Persia (Philip) to the Secretary of State

Teheran, August 19, 1927.
[Received September 21.]
No. 414

Sir: In confirmation of my cable message No. 53 of August 13, 12 noon, I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of a note to the [Page 557] Persian Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated the 11th instant, in which I endeavored to express the attitude of the Department in respect to possible future requests by Persia for its informal assistance in the selection of American citizens as members of a Financial Mission in Persia.

As Dr. Millspaugh’s rejection of the Government’s proposal was final and in view of the situation then pending between the remaining members of the Millspaugh Mission and the Persian Government, I delayed the action indicated by the Department in its cable instruction No. 37 of August 2, 5 p.m. My idea was that the receipt of the note in question might react to the disadvantage of these gentlemen, who were at the time seeking to bring about a cancellation of their contracts on a favorable financial basis. As it turned out, their conversations have led to nothing but verbal assurances that their status will remain practically unchanged for the time being.

Just what effect the receipt of the above note has had upon this Government, I have not yet had an opportunity to ascertain.

One of the American advisers told me today, the 19th instant, that a Persian of supposed British leanings had informed him that a note had been received from me at the Foreign Office which expressed disapproval on account of the neglect by the Government to accord courtesies to Millspaugh on his departure. The Persian informant added that, of course, this would render impossible the engagement of another American Administrator General.

It may be that the sense of the text of the opening paragraph of the enclosed note has been purposely distorted for political reasons, and that it might have been preferable to have stated clearly that the circumstances alluded to involved the Government’s insincere and unfair methods in its final dealings with Millspaugh.

However, I feel assured’ that the real purport of the note is thoroughly appreciated by the Persian Government.

I have [etc.]

Hoffman Philip
[Enclosure]

The American Minister (Philip) to the Persian Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs (Pakrevan)

Teheran, August 11, 1927.
No. 208

Excellency: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that I am instructed to solicit the kind attention of the Imperial Government to the situation which has arisen from the circumstances surrounding the departure from Persia of Dr. A. C. Millspaugh, Administrator General of the Imperial Finances.

My Government, as a consequence, desires to make plain to the Imperial Government at this time that its attitude toward the American [Page 558] Financial Mission during the past five years is not to be regarded as a precedent to be invoked in the future, when circumstances may have appreciably changed.

The Department of State, therefore, having in mind such official [unofficial] assistance as it extended at the request of the Imperial Government in connection with the formation of the Millspaugh Mission, feels under the necessity of reserving to itself complete liberty of action in considering any future requests which may be made for its informal and unofficial good offices in facilitating the employment of American citizens as members of a financial Mission in Persia.

I avail myself [etc.]

Hoffman Philip