891.20/5–2649: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Iran
us urgent
485. In conversation preceding Deptel 449, May 171 and subsequent Deptel 473, May 24, we have followed informally, in elaboration official position penultimate para Deptel 473, line substantially parallel ur own, carefully avoiding implication “green light” (urtel 706, May 262). In course of informal conversations with Ala, Mazhari, and Aram, question was raised whether our attitude, as in case limited constitutional reform, was sympathetic. We replied our objective weighing relevant factors led our dipl and mil Reps both Tehran and Wash to conclusion merger project intrinsically unwise and most untimely.
Conveying ur latest report strong opposition in Iran to merger, we have informed IranEmb informal Wash conversations are being reported Emb Tehran and encouraged Ala transmit full report H.I.M. You can assure Shah ur official representations are on instruction Dept and ur informal views in complete accord our own.
Ala’s correspondence with Tehran this subj limited exclusively H.I.M.3
- See footnote 1 to telegram 655, May 15, p. 519.↩
- Not printed; but see footnote 3, p. 523.↩
- Tehran, on May 30, informed
the Department of a meeting earlier in the day, attended by
Colonel Pierce, at which General Razmara issued a directive for
the merger of the Gendarmerie into the
Army for a trial period of 6 months. Some 12,000 of the
gendarmes were to be transferred to the Ministry of War for
security purposes, while 4,000–5,000 were to remain under the
Ministry of the Interior for civil functions (telegram 712,
891.20/5–3049).
Tehran, on June 6, reported that the American Mission with the Gendarmerie was virtually inoperative, that neither Ministry was consulting its American Advisers and that the Army, in taking over the Gendarmerie, was acting in such a way that the reduced force of gendarmes attached to the Ministry of the Interior would be unable to function properly (telegram 753, 891.00/6–649).
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