761.91/3–2349: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Iran 1
272. SecState made following statement at press conference today:
“For some time now, our Embassy at Tehran has reported Soviet pressure upon Iran in the form of persistent press and radio propaganda, alleging among other things activities by United States advisers in Iran hostile to the Soviet Union. That pressure seems to have intensified in recent weeks. When Ambassador Ala called on me on the 14th of this month, he handed me a copy of a memorandum to the Soviet Ambassador in Tehran in which the Iranian Government pro tested against disturbing Soviet press and radio attacks upon Iran. This memorandum was also released to the press in the Iranian capital. One type of Soviet allegation mentioned in the Iranian memorandum is that ‘American advisers intend to transform Iran into a military base to be used against the Soviet Union.’ Such charges are altogether false and demonstrably untrue. In this connection I might refer to certain statements which I tried to emphasize in my radio [Page 495] talk last Friday:2 ‘This country is not planning to make war against anyone. It is not seeking war. It abhors war.’ I might say in connection with Soviet allegations of hostile United States activity in Iran what I have already said with regard to allegations that aggressive designs underlie our participation in the Atlantic Pact, namely, that this ‘can rest only on a malicious misrepresentation or a fantastic misunderstanding of the nature and aims of American society.’”
SecState elaborated his categoric rejection Soviet allegation with description limited personnel and activities US Mil Missions operating under agreements requested by Iran Govt and filed with UN.
- Repeated to Moscow as 180, London as 992.↩
- Secretary Acheson’s talk dealt with the meaning of the North Atlantic Pact and was delivered over the Columbia and Mutual Broadcasting Systems on March 18; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, March 27, 1949, p. 384. The Secretary stated in part: “Therefore it is our policy to help free peoples to maintain their integrity and independence, not only in Western Europe or in the Americas, but wherever the aid we are able to provide can be effective. Our actions in supporting the integrity and independence of Greece, Turkey, and Iran are expressions of that determination. Our interest in the security of these countries has been made clear, and we shall continue to pursue that policy.” (ibid., p. 386)↩