741.9111/29: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
303. Your 338, January 23, midnight. While the Department is of course not yet in possession of the complete text of the new Anglo-Soviet-Iranian draft treaty and consequently is not in a position at this time to state fully its views regarding any provisions of the treaty, that upon examination may be found to affect American property or interests in Iran, the Department has however noted the following provision of Article IV of the text of the draft treaty received from the American Legation at Tehran:
“A special agreement shall be concluded between the Allied Governments and the Imperial Iranian Government defining the conditions of any transfers to the Imperial Iranian Government after the war of buildings and other improvements effected by the Allied Powers on Iranian territory. These agreements shall also settle the immunities to be enjoyed by the Allied forces in Iran.”
Since the above-quoted provision would appear to envisage subsequent negotiations restricted to Great Britain, Soviet Russia and Iran, involving the disposition of property which would apparently include American lend-lease material and affecting the long-range interests of the United States in Iran, I wish you to inform the British Government at an early moment that this Government makes full reservations of its rights in this matter. This Government wishes furthermore to be assured as promptly as possible by the British Government that no such negotiations as those referred to in Article IV of the Anglo-Soviet-Iranian [Page 268] Treaty will be undertaken before this Government has been consulted and has given its consent to any provisions at present affecting, or which may in the future affect, American property, rights or interests in Iran.
Similar representations are being made to the Soviet and Iranian Governments.53
- Telegrams No. 30 to the Soviet Union and No. 19 to Iran, both dated January 26.↩