123 Pinkerton, Lowell C.: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iraq (Moose)
399. For Moose. [Here follows instruction to seek the agrément of the Iraqi Government to the appointment of George Wadsworth as United States Minister to Iraq.]
In this connection and re Deptel 370 Sept 26 you should draw attention Iraq Govt our recent exchange of Ambassadors with Egypt5 and state that we would be prepared to exchange Ambassadors with Iraq in case Iraq should desire elevation its Legation at Washington to Embassy in accord with growing international importance Iraq and [Page 570] should be prepared to accord an American Ambassador Baghdad the precedence inherent in normal diplomatic practices. In case Iraq should care to have such exchange effected in near future Wadsworth could begin his mission as Ambassador rather than Minister. For your information and discreet use he will probably leave Beirut for Baghdad in January.
[In a memorandum of telephone conversation, October 25, an officer of the Department indicated that a spokesman for the British Embassy had informed him that the Iraqi Prime Minister had requested the views of the British Ambassador on the American proposal and had been informed that the Ambassador “welcomed the step as a logical sequence to the voluntary abrogation of precedence which has in the past been accorded to the British Ambassador” (123 Wadsworth, George).
The Iraqi Foreign Minister handed a note to Mr. Moose on October 26 welcoming the elevation of the American Legation to the status of an Embassy and the appointment of Mr. Wadsworth as Ambassador; in a note of November 14, the Foreign Minister advised that his Government was prepared to grant the American Ambassador at Baghdad the precedence accepted in normal diplomatic usage (124.90G/10–2846, 11–1546). The White House announced Mr. Wadsworth’s appointment on November 23. The Iraqi Foreign Minister received Mr. Moose as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Embassy on December 28 and agreed that the United States Mission should have Embassy rank effective the same day (123 Moose, James S.).]