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The Minister in Iran (Dreyfus) to the Secretary of State

151. The Foreign Minister has requested me to assign the Military Attaché or some other member of staff, in case the British and Russians consent to such procedure, to accompany the Axis Legations and nationals to the Turkish frontier. The present plan is to send Legations and nationals including German women and children to Turkey through the Russian-occupied zone. The Bulgarian Legation and nationals are also to be expelled, the Russian Government having withdrawn its request that they be allowed to remain. Since their departure from Tehran is planned for September 17, I should appreciate [Page 460] Department’s urgent instructions as to whether I may comply with the Foreign Minister’s request.

The first of Germans referred to in my No. 14941 left only this morning and was limited to 72 for Ahwaz and 8 for Kazvin. The Foreign Minister told me that he attributed the delay and limited numbers to the difficulties encountered by the Iranian police in rounding up the Germans listed by the British and Russians because of lack of cooperation on the part of Germans.

Dreyfus
  1. Supra.