761.91/11–744: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Iran (Morris)
666. Although articles regarding the Iranian situation continue to appear in the American press with a Moscow dateline, only one story direct from Tehran has been seen here recently. Today’s Associated Press article, datelined Moscow, quotes a Tass report from Tehran alleging continued demonstrations against Saed in northern Iran. The fact that virtually all of the telegraphic news in American papers concerning Iran is being sent from Moscow naturally gives the American public a distorted view of conditions.
Our Embassy in London reports that Reuter messages filed from Tehran are appearing in the British press.
Please report whether failure of American press representatives to send stories direct from Tehran is due to inactivity or to continued censorship difficulties. If the latter, you are requested to use every endeavor to obtain equality of treatment for American press services. This would appear to be an appropriate subject for tripartite discussions with your British and Soviet colleagues, within the framework established for the settlement of problems locally by frank and friendly interchange of views. Dept places considerable importance upon the functioning of this arrangement, which was established as a result of discussions in London last April.86