801.20 Mission/1–1745: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Iran (Morris)
24. War has agreed to continue Military Mission to Iranian Army for an indefinite period beyond March 1. War recognizes that protection [Page 527] and advancement of American interests in Iran require strengthening of Iranian security forces and consequently will present to Joint Chiefs of Staff request for priority for military supplies which General Ridley72 has requisitioned.
You may inform Iranian Government that War has agreed to continue mission which consequently will not be withdrawn on March 1. You should add that this Government will of course expect that the Iranian Ministry of War and Iranian officials continue to give General Ridley the fullest of cooperation and that this Government must reserve the right to withdraw the mission should such cooperation not be forthcoming at some future date.
General Ridley desires that we avoid suggesting an expiration date for the mission but rather limit ourselves to a statement that the mission will not be withdrawn on March 1. He desires that Dept and Embassy avoid stating or suggesting to Iranian officials at any time that he has not received full cooperation in the past from Iranian officials and requests that phrase similar to “continue to receive cooperation” be used. Dept in informing Iranian Minister73 of continuance of the mission has complied with General Ridley’s two requests.
- Maj. Gen. Clarence S. Ridley, Chief of the United States Military Mission to the Iranian Army.↩
- Note of January 18, 1945, to Mohammed Shayesteh not printed. This was in reply to the Minister’s note 1707, October 19, 1944; for reference to latter note, see letter from the Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of War, October 25, 1944, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. v, p. 433.↩