701.9111/676a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iran ( Engert )
3. Department’s 57, December 30, 11 a.m.33 Daftary has not yet presented himself officially to the Department. He states that the Iranian Foreign Office, evidently perturbed by the recent turn in French relations, is withholding instructions to reopen the Legation pending the submission of his views regarding the disposition of the American press toward Iran and the Shah.
Fully aware of the impossibility of giving any specific and comprehensive assurances in the matter but desirous of doing something to break the present impasse, Daftary had expressed the hope that a suitably favorable atmosphere might be created by inspiring friendly articles on Iran in the American press and had referred in that connection to a letter which he bore from the Chief of the Berlin Office of the Associated Press to Berding, representative at the Department of the Associated Press.
In a conference on this subject at the Department on January 11 between Daftary, the Chiefs of the Divisions of Near Eastern Affairs and Current Information and Berding the following conclusions were reached:
- 1.
- That it would be ill-advised to attempt to inspire favorable publicity regarding Iran in the American press except on the materialization of some event of real news value.
- 2.
- That the only event of that kind which may be anticipated in the near future would be the re-opening of the Legation itself. If on that occasion the Secretary of State should make a statement regarding Iran, couched in friendly terms, favorable newspaper publicity would presumably follow.
- 3.
- The recent return of the Secretary from Lima affords a particularly suitable occasion for carrying this plan into effect.
Daftary professed to be fully in accord with these suggestions and stated that he intended telegraphing his Government to that effect immediately.
In the event that you perceive no objection, you are authorized to seek an occasion to discuss this matter with the Foreign Minister with a view to ascertaining whether he agrees that the tentative proposals outlined above might not afford a favorable basis for reopening the Legation.
In this general connection you will recall that at the time of Murray’s visit to Teheran no stipulation was made by the Iranian Foreign Office that the re-opening of the Iranian Legation in Washington [Page 749] would be conditioned on assurances regarding the American press.
- Not printed.↩