PERSIA.
March 18—India Office of British Government says that documents have reached London showing that German Consular officers and business men have been engaged in intrigues with the object of facilitating a Turkish invasion of Persia.
March 20—Persian Government calls upon Russia to evacuate the Province of Azerbijan, Northwest Persia.
March 25—Kurds and Turks are massacring Christians at Urumiah, Northwestern Persia; situation of American Presbyterian Mission there is described as desperate; Dr. Harry P. Packard, doctor of the American missionary station, risks his life to unfurl American flag and save Persian Christians at Geogtopa; 15,000 Christians are under protection of American Mission and 2,000 under protection of French Mission at Urumiah; it is learned that at Gulpashan, the last of 103 villages to be taken after resistance, the Kurds shot the male citizens in groups of five, while the younger women were taken as slaves; 20,000 Persian Christians are dead or missing, while 12,000 are refugees in the Caucasus; disease is raging among the refugees.
March 26—Turks force their way into the compound of the American Mission at Urumiah, seize some Assyrian Christian refugees and kill them; Turks beat and insult American missionaries; American and British Consuls at Tabriz, near Urumiah, have joined in appeal to General commanding Russian forces at Tabriz to go to relief of American Mission at Urumiah, which is described as practically besieged by Turks and Kurds; United States State Department is active and asks Ambassador Morgenthau at Constantinople to urge the Turkish Government to send protection; Persian War Relief Committee cables funds to American Consul at Tabriz for relief at Urumiah.
March 27—Turkish Grand Vizier issues orders that Christians in disturbed Persian regions be protected and uprisings be suppressed.
March 28—Turkish regulars are due to arrive at Urumiah to protect Christians and suppress disorder; Turkish War Office says that "no acts of violence had been committed at Urumiah"; Grand Vizier states that reported atrocities are "grossly exaggerated."
March 30—Turkish Government gives renewed assurances to Ambassador Morgenthau that protection will be given to Christians at Urumiah.