740.0011 European War 1939/14281: Telegram
The Minister in Iran (Dreyfus) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:55 p.m.]
102. The Shah last night sent the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs to the British Legation to assure the British Minister that the Germans in Iran will be expelled with accelerated tempo. The assurance was immediately sent to London. The growing willingness on the part of the Iranians to expel appreciable numbers of Germans from the country has been evident in the conversations between British and Russian envoys and high Iranian officials. The attitude is, however, at variance with the written and formal record, for example, with the unbending tone of the written reply to the notes, the tenor of the Shah’s speech reported in my No. 9886 and with the tone of last night’s editorial in Etapent [Ettelaat?], which in referring to the Shah’s speech called the people to action and sacrifice to save their honor. Thus the Iranians while maintaining a defiant attitude for face-saving purposes and for the record are in fact willing to make concessions. The first general expulsion order was, it is reliably reported, given yesterday when 16 Germans, mostly barbers and unimportant persons, were directed to leave Iran within 2 weeks. It is understood that the German Legation has protested against the order.
There are no other local developments of importance. The situation this morning may be described as one of marking time awaiting the next British-Russian move.