89. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iran1
1144. Deliver the following orally and confidentially to the Shah on the President’s behalf. Or if this not practical in view of his imminent departure you may deliver orally to FonMin. Report Shah’s response and comments.
The President was delighted with the Shah’s understanding interest in the Algiers conference when they discussed it in the brief but gratifying telephone chat at the time of the Shah’s stop in New York.2
The President notes that the prospects of the forthcoming conference of Asian and African leaders in Algiers have struck some of our friends with dismay, but he is encouraged by the constructive efforts which Iran is making to the end that the responsible voices of Asia and Africa may have a full and effective hearing at Algiers. The President is impressed to learn from Ambassador Meyer that Iran will seek to focus the main attention of the Asian-African conference on a consideration of ways and means of improving the social and economic conditions of the peoples of Asia and Africa. The President hopes that other responsible delegations will recognize the wisdom of this conception of the “Afro-Asian movement” and not fall prey to those forces of confusion and subversion which cynically seek to betray the deeply felt longings of Asians and Africans to enjoy the fruits of independence and human dignity.
The President sees hopeful signs that more and more leaders of Africa and Asia are learning to distinguish their real interests from the lure of slogans and the transitory satisfactions of belaboring the phantoms of ancient animosities. The kind of leadership and example Your Majesty is giving has already done a great deal to bring awareness of these lessons to other governments. If other responsible delegations at Algiers recognize how much may be gained from coordination of their efforts with their real friends, the conference will have a more constructive atmos-phere than some of our friends have feared. So the President hopes that the Iranian Delegation will provide leadership to this end.
The President expresses again how much it meant to him to be able to have that all so brief chat with the Shah. The Shah’s friendship, understanding, [Page 161] and support are of the greatest importance to President Johnson personally and to the American nation in these difficult days.
The President sends the warmest good wishes to the Shah and the Imperial family.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 IRAN. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Newberry and Tiger; cleared by Special Assistant to the Ambassador at Large Rollie H. White, Handley, and Komer; and approved by Rusk.↩
- See Document 85.↩