500.A14/655
The Persian Minister (Djalal) to the Secretary of State
Your Excellency: Having been the victim of an accident and having been helplessly confined to my room since the twelfth instant, I take this opportunity to acknowledge Your Excellency’s communication of May 19, 1934, and have the honor to state that I have telegraphed the content of the above-mentioned communication as well as Your Excellency’s sincere sympathies and good-will to my Government, which will no doubt communicate their reply. As soon as I have received it, I shall inform Your Excellency.
Meantime, your desire to render all possible help and justice to the Persian Government with reference to Article 3 [Chapter III] of the Convention of 1925 encourages me to submit to Your Excellency my Government’s view as plainly as possible.
The Persian Government’s expectation of the United States, which has neither political nor naval interest in the matter, and in doing justice toward small nations has gone so far as to renounce its own treaty rights over certain countries, is to show the Persian Government full justice in this case and render them active support, but not as in the present manner; that is, to take active part in ratifying a Convention prejudicial to Persian national rights and the law of Nations and assure future passive support to Persia by a promise that their representatives in Geneva will not oppose any revision that may be put forward with reference to Article 3. Not only is such passive support short of the Persian Government’s expectation of full and active justice, but, as the Convention is drawn up by the members of the League, and the League itself, having admitted the objection of the Persian Government, has decided on the revision of Article 3; such being the case, the ratification by the American Government (which is not a member of the League) before the revision of Article 3 not only gives the impression of an unfriendly action but the legality of such ratification is open to question.
Therefore, if the Government of the United States feels compelled to hurry up the case, they can achieve their end by taking a more just and lawful course; that is, by ratifying it subject to the revision decided by the League.
With one short message from Your Excellency to the Foreign Committee that condition can easily be added to the ratification, and the Persian Government will be among those small nations who have already experienced the thrill of active justice on the part of your Government through Your Excellency’s decision.
Very sincerely yours,