Office of the Historian

701.9111/643: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iran (Engert)

Washington, March 4, 1938—7 p.m.

11. Your 20, March 1, 9 a.m.56 Personal from Murray.

My letter of February 455 suggested you defer departure on leave until after possible trade agreement negotiations which, if all goes well, might be undertaken at Teheran in April or May by same delegation which is proceeding shortly to Turkey. Such negotiations whether here or in Teheran will depend of course upon nature of the Iranian reply to proposal made in Department’s 8, February 10, 6 p.m.

The Department would meanwhile welcome your views as to whether an insistence on our part that the negotiations take place in Washington might either hasten a decision of the Iranian Government to reopen its Legation here or assist in arriving at a satisfactory trade agreement with Iran.57

As far as we can now foresee you will probably proceed to Kabul for short visit after home leave and then return to Teheran. [Murray.]

Hull
  1. Ante, p. 727.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. With respect to failure to open trade agreement negotiations, see telegram No. 27, March 21, 9 a.m., from the Chargé in Iran, p. 729, the Department’s reply, telegram No. 16, March 26, 3 p.m., p. 730, and telegram No. 76, June 23, noon, from the Chargé in Iran, p. 732.↩