111.752/12–1645: Telegram
The Ambassador in Iran (Murray) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 17—11:24 a.m.]
1136. For the Ambassador.18 On December 11 Embassy requested of Soviet Embassy travel passes valid for period December 14 to 24, for Harold Minor, Chief Middle East Division of Department State,19 and Captain Gagarine, Assistant Military Attaché of Embassy, to proceed by automobile to Tabriz and return for purpose of maintaining communication with our Consulate there, which has been isolated for weeks and unable communicate with Embassy through normal postal and telegraphic channels. Travel passes have not been issued and no reason given for nonissuance. Embassy has been consistently rebuffed in repeated attempts past few days to confer with Soviet Chargé d’Affaires at Tehran or his subordinates.
Failure Soviet officials issue passes to Minor and Gagarine constitutes Soviet action preventing American officials from carrying our instructions from US Government in territory of country with which US Govt enjoys friendly relations.
I suggest that, in your discretion, you bring this most unsatisfactory situation, both as regards travel passes and attitude of Soviet Embassy officials, to attention Soviet Government on highest practicable level. Secretary of State may consider action of sufficient importance to warrant representations by him to Molotov since if uncorrected it will in all likelihood lend encouragement to further Soviet hindrance in functioning this Embassy.
Sent Moscow 342, repeated Dept 1136.
- In the Soviet Union.↩
- Mr. Minor was designated Chief of the Division of Middle Eastern Affairs on December 3, 1945. In telegrams 666, December 3, 1945, 4 p.m., and 677, December 5, 1945, 6 p.m., the Department informed the Ambassador in Iran that Mr. Minor was accompanying Maj. Gen. Donald H. Connolly, Deputy Foreign Liquidation Commissioner, on his mission to Iran in connection with the disposition of American surplus property in that country and that his visit would present “a good opportunity for him to acquaint you personally with any developments as seen from this end to gain from conversations with you ideas of a character which may be difficult to transmit in telegrams and despatches.” (811.24591/12–345, 12–545) In telegram 1111, December 12, 1945, 9 a.m., the Ambassador reported that Mr. Minor was planning a short trip to Azerbaijan about December 14 (811. 24591/12–1245).↩