891.50 Seven Year Plan/10–2649: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Iran
940. Ltd Smith–Mundt funds recently made available for technical assistance activities NEA area for remaining months FY 1950. If justified, possible provide Iran 7 US technicians (techs) plus funds [Page 566] for 3 Iranians to be brought US for training. According usual Smith–Mundt procedure, Iran expected contribute local Services such as transportation, housing, office space, administrative and field assist ants, interpreting services in Iran, etc.
View availability funds, reply soonest your estimate (1) desire of IranGovt for such assistance and their willingness assume local costs, (2) need for US techs in addition OCI. If IranGovt not eager, techs urgently needed elsewhere. Believed operations these techs will aid arid reinforce OCI plans and work. At your discretion you may inform Iran officials of possibility of this technical assistance to give them opportunity make specific request.
In preliminary planning, Dept and USGovt agencies have assumed techs wld be most useful in Iran in fields health and sanitation, agric and industrial training, and other labor fields with some attention to statistical problems. This in view 7-Yr Plan and desirability of initiating activity in fields due to receive emphasis under Point 4. You shld realize, however, that these techs are just a beginning. Other fields will be activated under Point 4 to insure a balanced program. If you agree and IranGovt requests techs in above fields, selection can start immed, although it is doubtful whether techs cld arrive Iran before March 1950 because delay involved FBI clearance.
Training in US believed most useful in agric and private industry. Training grants provide USGovt furnish roundtrip transportation, $180 monthly stipend and travel within US. One grant proposed in agric and two private industry. If IranGovt cld provide roundtrip transportation for industry trainees three can be trained instead of two. Training agric lasts twelve months and industry six to twelve. If IranGovt interested, it shld begin thinking about types training Most urgently needed and preliminary selection candidates. Final selection shld be deferred until techs arrive and have opportunity confer with applicants.
Dept wld also like your reactions fol points:
- (1)
- USGovt agencies feel that their men cld work most effectively with IranGovt Ministries officials, while spending some portion their time in actual demonstration work. They oppose Foundation on theory that reform must come from top, otherwise work in villages has no lasting effect on Govt. This concept may have some merit in view objective using these techs to prepare ground for Point 4. USDA also observes that it has had poor experience in Latin America in attaching men to plan orgs, since those orgs were not always permanent or in high esteem, and since techs’ work cld be no better than the org to which they were attached. USDA thinks better to have them Work with Plan org thru ministries.
- (2.)
- Agencies agree need coordination work of techs with Emb. It was suggested if techs are assigned Iran, you appoint officer with responsibility planning, arranging terms work techs, assembling them [Page 567] regularly for interchange info, and coordinating with OCI and Other programs. This responsibility wld probably require major portion time senior officer. In fact it may be desirable send out additional senior officer attached your staff for this and to become technical cooperation officer under Point 4 program. Geib could probably help such officer in view his experience tech assistance activities. Wld appreciate your full consideration this aspect problem.