891.77/723
Memorandum by Mr. Kermit Roosevelt, Jr., of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State (Acheson)7
I talked with General Sidney Spaulding8 who tells me that the proposal to have American troops take over operation of the British operating section of the Iranian railroad was discussed with the Soviet people in Teheran as well as the British. Of course, at this stage of [Page 444] the game it was still indefinite, but the Russians appeared to favor the move and were very cooperative.
General Spaulding also discussed the proposal (still at an indefinite stage) with Mikoyan, Foreign Trade Commissar, when he arrived in Moscow. Mikoyan seemed to approve our taking over from the British but gave no encouragement to the suggestion, which General Spaulding also raised, that we take over in the north as well. General Spaulding said that he would check into the records and get more explicit information on this matter.