U.S. Department of State (September 5, 1941)
740.0011 European War 1939/14730: TelegramThe Minister in Iran to the Secretary of State
Tehran, September 4, 1941 — 8 a.m.
[Received September 5 — 3 p.m.]
137.The British Minister informs me he has received his instructions as to expulsion of Germans but since his Russian colleague has not they cannot yet be divulged. He told me in strict confidence however that the matter has taken a more serious turn since British terms were presented August 30 and that it now appears other Axis nationals will be expelled and that the German, Italian, Bulgarian and perhaps other Legations will have to leave Iran. He intimated this change last night to Foreign Minister who was of the opinion that the entire Cabinet might resign rather than submit thereto.
In my opinion this drastic change is the result of the complications brought on by the offer of asylum by the Turks (see my No. 130) and the high-handed attitude the Germans in Tehran have assumed since their first sigh of relief that their necks were temporarily safe from the dreaded Russians.
DREYFUS
740.0011 European War 1939/14729: TelegramThe Ambassador in the United Kingdom to the Secretary of State
London, September 5, 1941 — 8 p.m.
[Received September 5 — 5:40 p.m.]
4102.[Your] 3563 September 4, 2 p.m., has been taken up with Sir Horace Seymour at the Foreign Office and has been brought to Mr. Eden’s personal attention. Seymour has promised a reply as soon as possible. Seymour said that Sir R. Bullard had been instructed to keep Mr. Dreyfus fully informed of all negotiations and moves at Tehran. He said that they are faced with a serious practical difficulty at the moment as those Germans whom they particularly desire to get out of Iran have taken refuge in the German city and country Legations — about 700 altogether. The Shah is endeavoring to force their consent for the return of these Germans to Germany. The British on the other hand are determined to decide themselves which ones may be allowed to return to Germany and Seymour says that there are some of them whom they would not under any circumstances permit to return.
Mr. Eden in a speech at Coventry last Saturday in which he made a general survey of the present war position reinforced the statement he had previously given out regarding British action in Iran. He said:
…meanwhile let me make plain once again our general attitude. We have no territorial claims against Iran. We covet no square inch of Iranian territory. We have no design nor have our Russian allies any design to annex any part of the areas which our forces have now occupied. His Majesty’s Government and the Soviet Government have repeatedly assured the Iranian Government of their determination to respect the political independence and the territorial integrity of Iran. We have repeated that pledge to the Government of our ally Turkey and to the Governments of neighboring states. That pledge stands. We shall as soon as military conditions permit withdraw our forces from Iranian territory.
Full text of this speech has been forwarded by air mail.
WINANT
740.0011 European War 1939/14641: TelegramThe Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey
Washington, September 5, 1941 — 8 p.m.
155.The following is the text of a telegram sent by the President on September 2, 1941, to the Shah of Iran in response to a message received from the latter:
You are requested to furnish the Foreign Office informally with a copy of the foregoing message for the confidential information of the Turkish Government.
With reference to the penultimate paragraph of the President’s message to the Shah, you should inform the Foreign Office that our representatives at London and Moscow were instructed on September 4 to express to the British and Soviet Governments respectively the hope of this Government that sympathetic consideration will be given to the suggestion previously made regarding the advisability of a public statement to all free peoples reiterating the assurances already given to the Iranian Government by the British and Soviet Governments.
HULL