705.9167/2

Memorandum by the Secretary of State

The Ambassador of Turkey called upon his own request and stated to me that the Iranian Government had requested the Turkish Government, through its representative in Washington and in any other practical way, to take over the interests of the Iranian Government in the United States and to give them such care and attention as they might be able and as was customary in the existing relations between this Government and the Iranian Government, the latter having recalled its representatives from this country, but, at the same time, given full permission to the United States Chargé at Teheran to remain there and keep in normal touch and relationship with the Iranian Government.

I promptly replied that I knew of no Government anywhere more competent and suitable thus to represent the Iranian Government and to take care of its interests and affairs in this country than the Government of Turkey through its representative here, and, of course, [Page 359] I knew of no country which to us the assumption of this task would afford more satisfaction than such action by the Turkish Government. I then expressed both the surprise and disappointment I felt at the unexpected action of the Shah of Iran after he had received a retraction from Mr. Hearst of the false publication in the New York Mirror, about which the Shah had chiefly complained.

I then briefly rehearsed the pros and cons of the relations between the two governments from the time of the arrest of the Iranian Minister at Elkton, Maryland, upon the charge of speeding until today. The Turkish Minister [Ambassador] showed genuine sympathetic interest in the attitude of the United States with respect to these two incidents and assured me that he would watch every opportunity to aid in making clear to the Iranian Government and its Ruler the wholehearted friendliness of our people towards him and the Iranian people, and, at the same time, would strive to convince the Shah of the complete satisfaction which this Government had really given him and also given his Government and which, if understood fully by the Shah, should be promptly accepted.

C[ordell] H[ull]