Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Near East and Africa, Volume VII

123 Rossow, Robt., Jr.: Telegram

The Vice Consul at Tabriz (Rossow) to the Secretary of State

secret

Tabriz, April 4, 1946—9 a.m.
[Received April 5—9:48 a.m.]

113. There has been no major Soviet troop movement in or out of Tabriz since that reported mytel 105, March 31.⁷¹ Only rear echelon activities observed here.

Attention is directed to large volume of troops and material that passed through Tabriz during March. These are deployed somewhere in this province believed mainly in area south of Lake Urmia. If Soviets do begin to evacuate, we here in Tabriz will very well know it. Furthermore if Soviets intend to evacuate by May 6, which I do not believe, they will have to start very soon for it took 4 weeks to bring these troops and materials in and it will presumably take as long to move them out.

I strongly urge the following:

(1) That Department and Embassy remove all prohibitions against my travel in Azerbaijan and Kurdistan. I do not believe there is undue danger involved in such travel and there is now an officer to leave in charge here in my absence.

(2) That I be authorized to insist upon being given a Soviet pass to go wherever I choose in my consular district. When Soviets refused to give me pass for Mahabad (mytel 42, March 7) Soviet Consul General’s subsequent absurd explanation was that he did not know whether Mahabad was in his consular district. Since for other reasons I was not able to make trip at the time anyway, I was not in position to press matter.

(3) That my insistence re passes be accompanied by general attack on Soviet pass requirement. There is not now the slightest shred of justification legal or otherwise for requiring passes for travel here and requirement is a flagrant interference in conduct of American Government affairs. Please instruct urgently.^71a

Sent Department as 113, Tehran 93, repeated Moscow 61, London 40, Ankara 25, Baghdad 21.

Rossow

71. Not printed; it reported movement out of Tabriz of a large column of Soviet trucks carrying troops and a few trucks moving artillery (861.24591/3–3146).

72. In telegram 114, April 5, Mr. Rossow reported a serious deterioration in the security situation in Tabriz during the past week as evidenced by the relaxation of party discipline and the arming of irresponsible elements who made no secret of their hatred of Americans and British (391.1115/4–546). The Department informed him in telegram 13, April 5, that “while we agree fully that you should be free to travel about your district and are entitled to receive Soviet pass without delay, it is our feeling that, due to delicate situation in Tabriz described in urtel 114 Mar 4 [April 5] you should not travel extensively and should not press Russians at this moment for travel permit” (861.24591/4–546). The following day Ambassador Murray directed Mr. Rossow to impress on Mr. Pishevari the extreme importance of safeguarding the lives and property of foreigners at all times (telegram 64, repeated to the Department as No. 476, 891.00/4–646).

    On April 7, in telegram 116, Mr. Rossow reported the views of the “Deputy Prime Minister” of Azerbaijan that while his government did not consider itself sovereign and independent, it did not recognize the Central Government as representative of the will of the people and did not recognize any of its laws and treaties if they were in opposition to that will (691.1112/4–746).