891.24/166
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Controls (Green)
The Iranian Minister called at my office this morning by appointment. He referred to our conversation on January 4 in regard to the desire of his Government to ship arms, ammunition, and implements of war from New York to Iran on vessels stopping at belligerent ports en route. He asked whether the passage of the Lease-Lend Act15 had altered the situation of which I had informed him in that conversation.
I replied in the negative, inviting his attention to Section 2 (a) of the Neutrality Act.
The Minister urged that in its administration the law be relaxed in the interests of Iran.
I endeavored to explain that this difficulty arose not by reason of the administration of the law but by reason of the terms of the law itself which could not be altered except by act of Congress.
- Approved March 11, 1941; 55 Stat. 31.↩