661.9131/93: Telegram
The Chargé in Persia (Wadsworth) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 2:55 p.m.]
10. Department’s telegram No. 7, April 6. I deeply regret Department’s telegram and say the fault is mine as the Minister had assigned question for my particular study.
Reference to British proposals was made only after weighing advantages. Minister for Foreign Affairs possesses little detailed knowledge of trade monopoly regime but he did know these proposals and had expressed approval thereof. They were in fact generally known and used as point of departure in general informal diplomatic discussion.
It did not therefore seem amiss to mention them in aide-mémoire when on presenting and discussing that paper it was made clear that while the Legation had cognizance of and had reported them the American position had been arrived at quite independently thereof and that their use was solely to simplify phraseology and furnish needful basis of discussion. Particular emphasis was laid on the word substantially.
Under the circumstances does the Department approve substitution of memorandum modified as follows?
[Page 801]Paragraphs 1, 5, 7 and 8 to remain. Paragraph 2 to be replaced by following:
“Confident that the Imperial Government shares this point of view the American Government has authorized the American Legation at Teheran to proceed with the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs to an exchange of views which would have as its object the definition of what has been referred to above as ‘privileges equivalent to those accruing to Soviet trade’ any such definition thus arrived at to be of course communicated to and subject to the approval of the American Government.”
Paragraph 3 to be introduced by “in the formulation and definition of such equivalent privileges it is believed that particular consideration should be given to” then continue from “the suggestion” but with final clause regarding bank guarantee omitted. Paragraph 4 to omit “as an abstract proposition” and final sentence.
In paragraph 6 at end of first sentence semicolon instead of period and “this however” in the preamble first clause of next sentence.