891.51/520
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
In view of the attitude of the Treasury with regard to the desire of the Iranian Government to obtain a loan of fifteen million dollars in the United States, as set forth in Mr. Livesey’s12 attached memorandum,13 I spoke this morning by telephone with Mr. Warren Pierson, President of the Export-Import Bank, and arranged for him to receive Dr. Daftary, the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires tomorrow at eleven o’clock to discuss the matter.
Mr. Pierson told me in confidence, that, regardless of other considerations, his bank simply did not have the funds to make available any such sum to American exporters to Iran at the present time. He told me that the one hundred million dollars authorized by Congress had already been exceeded by twenty million dollars. He also added that he felt sure his directors would vigorously oppose any commitment in that part of the world at this time, in view of the grave uncertainties of the political situation. He would, however, be glad to discuss the matter with the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires and find out what his Government had in mind.