891.711/18
The Secretary of State to the Acting Postmaster General (Purdum)
Dear Mr. Purdum: Reference is made to your letter of August 21, 1936, regarding the action of the Iranian postal authorities in withholding delivery of a certain second-class mail matter of American origin.
Particular note has been taken of the last paragraph of your letter wherein you state that you regard the action of the Iranian Postal Administration as unjustified but that in any event that Administration should have notified your Department as to publications found to contain objectionable matter in order that dispatch of such publications to Iran could have been withheld and the publishers so notified. It is presumed that reference is made in this connection to Article 28 of the Universal Postal Union Convention of Cairo providing for notification in the event of temporary suspension of postal services in whole or in part.
In view of the facts set forth in your letter the Department suggests that it would seem desirable if this matter could be taken up at this [Page 383] point by your Department directly and in a routine manner with the Iranian Postal Administration rather than through diplomatic channels as was originally envisaged in the Department’s letter of June 22, 1936.
In the event that your Department concurs in this point of view the Department would appreciate being advised as to such action as you may propose taking.
Sincerely yours,
Assistant Secretary