123 Rossow, Robert: Telegram
The Vice Consul at Tabriz (Rossow) to the Secretary of State
us urgent niact
[Received March 16—11:16 a.m.]
83. This morning at 10:00 I had my chauffeur drive me in consular car with American flag flying prominently over hood, down road to railroad station which is about 4 miles west of city. About 800 yards from station is road turning off toward freight unloading zone and on toward Maragheh. Soviet sentry was blocking that road. We made no attempt to turn off but continued to passenger part of station, the sentry making no gesture whatsoever to stop car. However, after we turned around and started back to town sentry came out into main road and stopped car. He kept us there about 10 minutes till a Soviet non-com arrived. He ordered me gruffly to get out of back seat and into front. When I failed to move he barked his command again. I told him I was American Consul. At that he leveled his carbine at me and with a jabbing gesture repeated his command. This time I obeyed. Then on command another soldier got in back seat and leveled their weapons, one had carbine and the other a submachine gun, at the backs of our heads and ordered us to drive down toward unloading zone to some headquarters. On arrival the soldiers got out and posted three submachinegunners around car. They disappeared but a lieutenant came out about 20 minutes later and gruffly questioned my driver (my Russian is very limited) as to what we were doing there. I told driver to repeat I was American Consul and was just taking morning drive. He then went away and about half an hour later a captain came out and gruffly told us to get back to town and not to try to come that way again.
[Page 359]I made immediate strong protest to Soviet Consul General who excused incident as merely result of excess zeal of ignorant soldiers. He said it was assuredly not directed against my person nor my official position. He said he would investigate and have soldiers reprimanded if found wrong. He said he hoped I would forget about incident. I impressed upon him the seriousness of matter and neither accepted nor rejected his remarks.
Sent Dept 83, Tehran 67, Moscow 40, London 27.