787.5 MSP/3–2754: Telegram

No. 1408
The Ambassador in Iraq (Berry) to the Department of State

confidential

569. Reference paragraph 1 Deptel 523 of March 25.1 Embassy realizes its telegraphic reporting is not as complete as might be. We have . . . and one active code clerk, who, with some of the rest of us, work overtime seven days a week. With the need to report telegraphically our fight against Communism, cabinet crises, floods and other national disasters, as well as progress of our negotiations, we have to limit ourselves.

In connection with this problem, which is basically that of personnel, I call attention of Department to fact that shortly after [Page 2375] April 28 we will have but one stenographer in entire Embassy due to attrition and earned home leaves. This situation prevails in spite of our continuous efforts to prevent it. I hope Department will take necessary measures that my successor does not face in his work the same conditions under which I am laboring.

Berry
  1. Not printed. In the paragraph under reference here, the Department of State stated it was handicapped in arriving at a position that both the United States and Iraq could accept by a lack of detailed analysis from the Embassy as to the real motivation of the Iraqis on the contested points in the MDA Agreement. (787.5 MSP/3–2454)