111.23/60: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iran (Moose)
42. The Department wishes you to seek an early occasion to call on the Foreign Minister and to leave with him the following aide-mémoire after conveying to him orally the substance thereof. The aide-mémoire should be accompanied by a very careful translation prepared by the Legation interpreter.
“Acting under instructions from his Government, the American Chargé d’Affaires called upon His Excellency the Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs on (date) to inform him that Mr. Wallace Murray, Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs of the Department of State, is proceeding abroad on about September 1st for the purpose of visiting, in official capacity, various countries of the Near East and that he expects to reach Teheran on the evening of October 1st, where he will remain for a period of about 9 days.
Mr. Moose was instructed to state that his Government would be pleased if it were agreeable to His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah Pahlavi to receive Mr. Murray in audience during his presence in Iran and that an indication of His Majesty’s wishes in the matter would be appreciated.
Mr. Moose added that he understood that President Roosevelt contemplates entrusting Mr. Murray with a personal and friendly message to His Imperial Majesty”.
If, during your subsequent conversation with the Foreign Minister, you should be questioned as to the purport or purpose of the President’s letter, you should of course reply that you have no information whatever in that regard. It would seem fitting however, in any case, for you to refer, during your conversation, to this Government’s Good Neighbor policy in which the President is deeply interested and which has become the guiding principle in our relations with other countries of the world. You may mention in this connection the personal message which was addressed by the President not long ago to President [Page 734] Atatürk and which was subsequently published, together with Atatürk’s reply in the Turkish press.18 See Murray’s letter to Engert of August 2, 1937.19
You should state orally to the Foreign Minister that in view of the short time remaining before Mr. Murray’s departure from Washington the Department would greatly appreciate a reply to its inquiry as soon as may be possible.
Please keep the Department promptly informed by telegraph of developments.