811.24591/7: Telegram
The Minister in Iran ( Dreyfus ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:45 a.m.]
623. Department’s 250, May 21. Foreign Minister states that when he instructed Minister in Washington to take up with Department question of relations of American military and Iran authorities in south Iran, he had particularly in mind following incident:
Foreign Office in note of May 11 charged that PGSC76 proceeded arbitrarily at Bandarshapur in demolishing Customs buildings and insisting on reduction of Iranian Customs personnel. Connolly replied June 7 to effect that incident is based on misunderstanding that buildings were demolished with approval of Iran officials, that Customs director himself originated idea of reducing Customs personnel and that head of Customs states he has received every consideration from PGSC. Connolly added that PGSC has no intention of encroaching on Iranian rights and expressed hope that similar misunderstandings will not arise in future.
I submitted Connolly’s reply to Foreign Office under cover of note in which I expressed hope and belief that full and frank explanation given would clear up any misunderstanding and subscribed to assurances given by the General. I delivered the note personally to Foreign Minister who was much pleased with its contents and tone and promised to state this fact in an early note. All correspondence in case being sent Department by air.
Foreign Minister has expressed to me informally his dissatisfaction with large number of incidents especially traffic accidents involving members of PGSC. I must admit that volume is alarming. See despatch 579, June 10. However, the operations involving transport of war supplies to Russia are important and urgent and a certain number of incidents is inevitable. I do not observe any widespread disregard of Iranian rights by American Army nor any gross carelessness by American drivers. I was pleased at friendly and conciliatory tone of Connolly’s reply in present case. This and my personal explanation to Foreign Minister seem to have disposed satisfactorily of this particular case.
- Persian Gulf Service Command.↩