791.003/119: Telegram
The Minister in Persia (Philip) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 13—1:35 p.m.]
54. Reference Department’s 40, May 10, 7 p.m. A less conciliatory Persian attitude developed during my negotiations of May 12. In order to prevent difficulties at the frontier for American merchandise now there, however, tomorrow morning I expect to conclude an arrangement along the following lines: The notes to be similar in substance to those I outlined in my telegram 47, May 5, 7 p.m., but, instead of being bilateral (thereby involving ratification and other difficulties on the Persian Government’s part), to take the form of a unilateral declaration; while, coincidentally with their exchange, also there will be exchanged supplementary formal letters acknowledging and taking note of the contents of the notes themselves. These notes will also differ from the earlier drafts as to the principal points which follow:
- (1)
- Agreement on questions of personal status and family law jurisdiction being arranged by exchange of notes shortly to follow; the assurance on personal status in the declaration on safeguards (see paragraph (1) of my 52, May 10, 11 a.m.) to be correspondingly altered (the Persian Minister at Washington, I am informed, is to be instructed to explain Persia’s position in this regard in full detail to the Department).
- (2)
- Provisions regarding most-favored-nation relations, reservations as to Cuba, Panama Canal Zone, etc., to be specified in this Legation’s note only, but not in the one from the Persian Government, which [Page 720] insists that it will take note thereof only in the supplementary formal letter, mentioned above, of general acceptance.
- (3)
- Agreement yesterday on the notes bearing the date of their signature, while the tariff and other provisions to apply as from May 10, 1928.
Particularly because of the arrangements already made between Persia and Great Britain and France and of Germany’s readiness to sign at any moment, the arrangement above now appears to be the best obtainable, nor do I see any fundamental disadvantage in it for the United States.