and of the principles which underlie world order under law, should have something done about the matter without delay.

I frequently reiterated to the Minister that this Government as an ancient friend of Iran was deeply sorry to learn about their present difficulties; that we are spending thirty to fifty billions of dollars just as one item in our broad movement of direct military aid to nations both large and small that have been attacked by the worst despot and human fiend within the history of the human race and that even though all other countries may fail or fall by the wayside, this country will be found to the very end dedicating all of its strength and its resources in defense of the basic principles of liberty, independence, nonintervention, law, justice and morality, wherever any aggressor like Hitler continues to conquer and destroy them. I again repeated that I had nothing to say at present about the situation in Iran except that we were getting the facts.

The Minister became more quiet and composed and expressed more appreciation of the broader view which I had sought to get before him. I said to the Minister that my Government recognizes the broad view of the situation and the significance of Hitler's movement to conquer all of Europe and seize persons and property; that this would include Iran particularly on account of her oil supply as much as it did Belgium or Norway, as well as the remaining free countries in the continents of Asia and Europe, and that I hoped his country would take the same broad view in appraising the situation. I said that I must be frank to say that my country has no notion of sitting still and listening to the siren voice of Hitler discussing the merits of neutrality while he conquers all other areas and gets around to the point of attacking us just as he has some fifteen countries in Europe. I said I must warn Iran against Hitler's stealthy approach, which is always based on a pledge of his supposed honor that he would not for the world attack a neutral country.

740.0011 European War 1939/14716

C[ORDELL] H[ULL]

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton)

8

[WASHINGTON,] August 27, 1941.

I called Mr. Johnson at noon today and informed him I had just come from talking with the Secretary and wanted to point out that our moral support of the British position in Iran was constantly being raised here and, in this connection, of course full information was necessary. To date this had not been received. The Department

8 Herschel V. Johnson, Minister-Counselor of Embassy in the United Kingdom.

desires information not only as to factual data from the British but a full statement of their purposes. I then stated the Secretary was seeing the Russian Ambassador and the British Chargé d'Affaires 10 today and would raise with them the question of their respective Governments issuing a statement to all peaceful nations resisting aggression that while these Governments' action in Iran was necessary to meet the menace of Hitler across Europe, they had no intention of permanently infringing the sovereignty of Iran and that as soon as the necessity for the occupation had passed their Governments would unconditionally withdraw all occupying forces from Iranian territories. Mr. Johnson replied that some statement in this sense had already been made which he was reporting to us by air mail. I said that, unfortunately, this was not at hand-would he look into it and see that the information was made immediately available together with some light on how far the British had attempted preliminary negotiations with Iran to obtain their cooperation or support under British guarantees, should they throw in their lot with the British and Soviet effort.

I then went on to point out that today, of course, the occupation of Iran was not a purely British affair and this again, without due information, was bound to cause some speculation in this country, particularly since reports were reaching here already of bombings and destruction in and about Tabriz. I then asked Mr. Johnson if the statement issued by the British, to which he referred to above as having been dispatched to us by air mail, did not cover details of any Soviet-British agreement, that we would be very interested in having specific information as to what mutual arrangement or agreement had been made between the British and Soviet Governments not only as to the present but also as to the future of Iran and Iranian integrity. I then continued to stress the importance of this whole situation and that we should be kept informed by London. Johnson said that they would raise the question with the British and that he would report my conversation with him to Ambassador Winant.

861.24/586

R[AY] A[THERTON]

Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conversation With the Soviet Ambassador (Oumansky)

[Extract]

[WASHINGTON,] August 27, 1941.

I then referred to the military occupation of Iran by the Russian and British forces during the past few days and particularly to the

assurances given by these two Governments to the Government of Iran that they were in that country solely on account of the war with Hitler and that they had no purpose to infringe on their sovereignty in any other sense and only to this extent so long as the military necessity existed. I said to the Ambassador that Soviet Russia and Great Britain should repeat this same assurance to all peaceful nations and all other nations opposed to aggression. I stated that such a statement would have a very healthy and wholesome effect on the entire Moslem world as it would be stimulating to the peoples of small countries everywhere. He seemed very much interested in the idea and said he would send it to his Government at once. I said that I expected today to bring this same idea to the attention of Great Britain.

740.0011 European War 1939/14632

C[ORDELL] H[ULL]

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

11

[WASHINGTON,] August 27, 1941. The British Chargé d'Affaires called at his request and I brought up the same question I had brought up with the Russian Ambassador this morning 11 to the effect that Great Britain and Soviet Russia could well make a joint statement about the temporary occupation of Iran and their purpose to abandon such occupation as soon as war conditions permit and address it to all peaceful nations and other nations opposing or opposed to aggression. He seemed to receive this very favorably and said he would take it up with his Government.

I said to the Chargé that we had been unable to get anything like the full facts relating to the occupation of Iran, that I did hope that we might be able to secure the essential facts and points in the situation, and that we are undertaking to do this and would welcome any cooperation on the part of his Government. He said he knew exceedingly little about the situation, and he seemed to take no special interest in the matter.

740.0011 European War 1939/14472: Telegram

C[ORDELL] H[ULL]

The Minister in Iran (Dreyfus) to the Secretary of State

TEHRAN, August 28, 1941-10 a. m. [Received 11: 50 p. m.]

113. The Prime Minister 11a in presenting the new Cabinet to the Parliament this morning made the important announcement that since

Iran is a peace-loving nation, orders have been given for Iranian forces to cease all resistance to the British and Russians.

DREYFUS

740.0011 European War 1939/14442: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary

of State

LONDON, August 28, 1941-1 p. m. [Received August 28-9: 56 a. m.]

3918. My 3916, August 27, and air mail despatch 1359, August 26.12 Foreign Office has given me the following account of the course of events at Tehran following the presentation of the British memorandum of August 16 (my 3511, August 8, 10 p. m., and air mail despatch 1184, August 9 13).

"On the 19th August the Iranian Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs gave Sir R. Bullard 14 an oral reply to His Majesty's Government's memorandum of August 16th. He explained that 3 Germans who were understood to have engaged in undesirable activities would leave within a week and at least 100 would leave within a month, after which time the removal of Germans would be accelerated on the basis of schemes being prepared in all Ministries. The Iranian Government were not willing to provide lists of the Germans whose departure was required. The written reply would follow.

This written reply was received by Sir R. Bullard on August 21. It was in very general terms stating that the Iranian Government regretted to observe in the British memorandum of August 16, matters incompatible with their policy of neutrality; nevertheless, the Iranian Government's policy had from the first been to require superfluous foreigners to leave the country and this policy was now being carried out with greater care and speed. The number of foreigners in Iran had lately been specially reduced and the numbers would soon show a remarkable diminution. The Iranian Government could not put into practice in respect of the nationals of one state steps which would be incompatible with their arrangements and contrary to their treaties and which would lead to the abandonment of their neutral course. The Iranian Government added that they could not accept any proposal whatsoever which was contrary to their policy of neutrality or to their rights of sovereignty.

This unsatisfactory reply was supplemented by an oral message from the Shah conveyed to Sir R. Bullard by the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs on August 23. The Shah stated his desire that Sir R. Bullard and his Government should have no cause for anxiety and repeated personally the assurance already given. He had already given orders for the Iranian Government's programme to be put into execution and he assured Sir R. Bullard that it would be accelerated

12 Neither printed.

13 Latter not printed.

14 British Minister in Iran.

and that he would soon see a great reduction in the number of Germans, particularly in large centers of the population.

It is clear from these communications that the Iranian authorities have no intention of adequately meeting our requirements. There is, moreover, clear evidence to show that the Shah and his ministers have been influenced in taking their decision by the view that the RussoGerman campaign is bound to end in a German victory. Sir R. Bullard has also reported that the Iranian Government's policy has been drawn up in consultation with the Germans and there is reason to believe that this is the case.

Sir R. Bullard has therefore been instructed to communicate to the Iranian Government on August 25 the communication of which a copy is attached. He has been authorized to make it clear orally that in the view of His Majesty's Government there is no reason why the measures taken by them should lead to any material alteration in the financial, economic, and other relations normally existing between Iran and the British Empire. There is for instance no reason, if the Iranian Government cooperate in such ways as they can, why the oil royalties should not continue to be paid as hitherto. His Majesty's Government also have no wish to interrupt supplies to Iran of vital economic needs from British Empire sources."

Following is text of the communication which the British Minister at Tehran was authorized to make to the Iranian Government on August 25:

"The attention of the Imperial Iranian (Persian) Government has frequently been drawn to the need for taking action to secure the removal from Iran of the German community. The presence of German technical experts and advisers throughout Iran, employed in factories and in public works as well as on roads and railways and in many other important posts where their activities might constitute a serious danger, is regarded by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom as a matter of the utmost gravity which closely affects their own interests. His Majesty's Government have therefore repeatedly urged that a drastic reduction should be made in the number of these Germans. These friendly representations to the Iranian Government culminated in the memorandum communicated to them on the 16th August, in which the Iranian Government were urged once again to take steps to arrange for the German community to leave Iran without any further delay. This communication of the 16th August contained a proposal devised in order to meet Iran's special needs, by which a few German technicians engaged on important work in connection with Iranian industrialization projects be retained temporarily and it was suggested that a list of those German nationals whom it might be desired to retain for essential work should be communicated to His Majesty's Minister without delay. His Majesty's Government also offered in this communication of the 16th August to assist the Iranian Government by endeavoring to find suitably qualified British or neutral experts to replace the German technicians who had left and they added that they would gladly concert with the Iranian Government measures to alleviate any temporary hardships that might be caused by the simultaneous departure of large numbers of trained personnel.