891.00/3037a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iran ( Ford )
266. Department’s 261, April 28.66 You are authorized and instructed to participate, in fullest spirit of friendly collaboration, with your British and Soviet colleagues, in discussions on general subject of allied assistance to Iran in economic matters. The British Foreign Office is instructing Bullard, and the Soviet Ambassador in London has recommended to Moscow that the Soviet representative in Tehran be given similar instructions.
In suggesting these discussions the Department had in mind bringing about more effective allied cooperation in Iran both in support of the war effort and for purpose of protecting Iran’s economic interests. The discussions would have for their purpose the implementation of allied economic pledges to Iran given by Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt at the Tehran Conference. The conversations might well cover such subjects as allied support for the American advisers in Iran, the general Iranian supply situation, possible Soviet participation in Tehran MESC,67 increased allied cooperation and consultation in all matters of mutual interest in Iran, restrictions on travel in the northern provinces, and the necessity for Soviet cooperation in collecting and transporting Iranian wheat from the north to southern deficit areas. One of the primary considerations which motivated Department was desirability of discussing with the Soviet authorities the harmful effects of certain agreements which have appeared to represent a policy of economic exploitation of Iran. You are fully familiar with these agreements, contracts and informal arrangements. This aspect should be introduced into the discussions in a most careful manner in order to avoid creating an atmosphere of recrimination or the impression that the conversations are aimed at the actions of any one Power. A frank discussion of the relations of all three Powers with Iran should be encouraged. It is essential also to avoid throughout the discussions the impression of a British-American front.
Please draw up and submit to Department, after consultation with your British and Soviet colleagues, a tentative agenda for the discussions.
The necessity for keeping the Iranian authorities informed of the discussions may be mentioned, in view of the provisions therefor in the British-Soviet-Iranian Treaty of 1942.68 The Department leaves [Page 333] to your judgment the attitude which you should take should this subject be introduced, but no objection is perceived to appropriate discussion with the Iranian Government.
Repeated to London and Moscow.69
- See footnote 65, p. 331.↩
- Tehran office of the Middle East Supply Center.↩
- Signed at Tehran, January 29, 1942, British and Foreign State Papers, vol cxliv, p. 1017; for correspondence regarding interest of the United States in this treaty, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. iv, pp. 263 ff.↩
- As telegrams 3479 and 1076, respectively.↩