891.00/1769½
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs ( Murray ) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: The Iranian Minister has an appointment to see you tomorrow, August 22, at 11 o’clock, when he will explain to you, under instructions from his Government, the present situation in Iran. He proposes at that time to leave with you the original of the attached aide-mémoire 80 which has been telegraphed to him by his Government and which contains the Iranian reply to the recent British demands made upon Iran for the ostensible purpose of bringing about the expulsion of most of the German nationals now in that country.
During a call from the Iranian Minister on August 19, when he requested the present appointment to see you, he read to me the full text of a long telegram he had just received from his Government, the substance of which is contained in the attached aide-mémoire. As you will recall, I inquired of the Iranian Minister, during an earlier conversation81 regarding the present crisis in his country, what the attitude of his Government would be in case of a British demand to permit the passage of British troops through Iran to Russia, and also what the attitude of his Government would be in case a demand for the passage of arms and munitions through his country were made. On that occasion the Minister stated as his opinion that his Government would not Under any circumstances permit the passage of troops through his country. As for the passage of arms and munitions, he was not in a position to reply to me. During the Minister’s last call on me on August 19, he said he was now in a position to tell me, under instructions from his Government, that no passage of foreign troops through his country would be permitted under any circumstances. While the Minister did not reply specifically to my inquiry regarding the passage of arms and munitions, he pointed out that the Iranian railway was not equipped to carry heavy arms such as the tanks, et cetera.
Commenting on the possibility of an attempted occupation of the country by the British and Bolshevik troops, the Minister said he thought it was unthinkable that Britain would take any aggressive action against his country. As for the possibility of an attempted Bolshevik occupation, the Minister observed that Russia seemed to have her hands full at the present time, and that in any case Iran would put up a desperate and, he thought, successful resistance to any attempt of the Bolshevik Army to invade Iran.
[Page 405]The Minister again emphasized that his Government would count heavily upon American sympathy and assistance in case of any acts of aggression against his country.