Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1923, Volume II

891.6363 Standard Oil/294

The Consul at Teheran (Gotlieb) to the Secretary of State

Teheran, June 29, 1923.
[Received August 30.]

The Persian Medjliss in its session of June 20th passed the following bill:

• “Article I. The national consultative assembly authorizes the Government to grant a reputable company of Persian subjects the exclusive concession to prospect and exploit the petroleum, natural gas, asphalt and mineral wax of one of the two provinces, Guilan or Mazanderan, in addition to Tonekabon.
• Article II. The terms of this concession should not be less favorable to the government than those of the law of the petroleum concession passed by the Medjliss on June 13, 1923. (Jowza 23, 1302).
• Article III. The said concession should be approved by the national consultative assembly.”

I respectfully refer in this connection to my report of June 27 (“Project for grant of North Persian Oil concession to American company passed by Persian Medjliss”) and specifically to Article I of the draft concession enclosed therein⁸ reading as follows:

“The Parliament of Persia approves the granting of a concession … for Khorassan, Azerbaijan and two of the three Northern provinces bordering the Caspian Sea, Guilan, Mazanderan and Astarabad.”

One of the two most promising provinces, Guilan and Mazanderan is consequently to be reserved for exploitation by Persian brains and capital, in addition to Tonekabon, which is not held to be of great importance.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Respectfully submitted

Bernard Gotlieb

8. Draft concession not printed.