Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the President1
secret
Moscow, 26 October 1943.
Number: SD 2. Personal secret for the President only from Harriman.
- 1.
- After the conference this afternoon, Monday,2 I had an opportunity to talk with Molotov privately again about the place of meeting. I asked him bluntly whether communications was the only inhibition to Basra as against Teheran. He assured me that it was and explained that they had direct telegraph and telephone wires to Teheran under [Page 44] their complete control policed by Soviet troops, amplifying what Stalin had said.
- 2.
- I told him that since this was the case we should make a detailed study of whether similarly satisfactory arrangements could not be made through to Basra, offering the assistance of our military establishment in Iran and assuring him that we could get full cooperation from the British.
- 3.
- I am afraid they are worrying that they will not be able to exercise directly the same degree of control and security against Iranians, German spies known to be in the area, and possibly ourselves, as they do in North Persia. I offered to send General Deane down with a Russian officer to investigate the problem on the spot.
- 4.
- Molotov did not bring the matter up but they may be concerned over sending too large a force into southern Iran which would be a violation of their treaty. I would appreciate being advised what arrangements, if any, you contemplate should be made with the Iranian and Iraquian governments regarding entry of the substantial number of Soviet guard forces which might be required if the Soviets should wish to police the communications and the camp.
- 5.
- I emphasized the importance to the war effort that the discussions would have in establishing closer military collaboration and said that we were so close together on the place of meeting that a way must be found to solve the remaining difficulties.
- 6.
- Molotov raised the question if you went to Teheran why the railroad or road could not be used between Basra and Teheran if the air delivery and dispatch of your documents was interfered with by weather. I explained that the ten days available to you were taxed to the utmost by continuous air delivery and that the extra time the seven hundred miles of ground travel would require would make the return of your documents within the legal limit impossible of accomplishment.
- 7.
- I asked Molotov to accept your decision that Teheran was impossible but to concentrate with me on finding a way to solve the communication difficulties to Basra. He indicated a willingness to do so but did not show any optimism as to results.
- 8.
- I saw Eden this evening regarding this subject. He of course agreed to cooperate fully and volunteered to take the first opportunity to emphasize to Molotov the importance of the meeting to concerting the war effort.