U.S. POLICY IN PERSIA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24747, 12 December 1945, Page 7

U.S. POLICY IN PERSIA

ACHESON REPLIES TO HURLEY CORRESPONDENCE WITH ROOSEVELT (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright} (Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 10. Mr Dean Achesori, United States Under-Secretary of State, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, denied Major-General P. J. Hurley's assertion that he had destroyed American policy in Persia. He said that General Hurley, eafly in 1944, wrote to President Roosevelt, outlining suggestions for his> policy in the Middle East. President Roosevelt sent them to the State Department, which found practical difficulties in the proposals. The chief difference of opinion concerned lend-lease arrangements with the British. General Hurley wanted to discontinue using the British Corporation for distributing lend-lease goods. President Roosevelt then wrote to General Hurley saying that he was sympathetic with many of his ideas, but cited the practical difficulties in them.

General Hurley, in evidence, said Mr Acheson's version was incorrect, and charged Mr Acheson with wrecking the policy approved by President Roosevelt for fighting foreign monopolies, particularly the British monopoly in Persia and the Middle East. General Hurley said: "Mr Acheson opposed my contention that the United Kingdom Commercial Corporation, which was a profit-making organisation owned by Britain, should not be allowed to sell lend-lease supplies in Persia and 17 other countries, for the purpose of building a trade monopoly and excluding United States trade from those territories. I .also contended that, instead of creating imperialistic monopolies among £he weaker nations, we should furnish advisers to help them to develop their own resources, and not enrich some imperialistic monopoly of foreign interests."

General Hurley produced a letter from President Roosevelt, reading: "I am thrilled with the idea of using our efforts in Persia as an example of what can be done by an unselfish American policy. You are right that the distribution of lend-lease supplies throughout the Middle East should be taken over by our people. I have let the Secretary of State know my views on this subject." General Hurley added: "Mr Acheson's view prevailed until September, 1944, when I made a report to President Roosevelt containing charges against individuals who, I considered, were defeating the President's policies. After this, two American diplomats were withdrawn from Persia." Mr Acheson said: "I criticised General Hurley's suggestions vigorously, because I thought that .they would entail undesirable commitments for the United States, but President Roosevelt's letter overruled my viewpoint." Mr Acheson explained that a .small portion of lend-lease goods in Persia was handled by the British Corporation, because it would have been impractical to recruit and transport American staff. He added that all the proceeds of civilian lend-lease were paid for by Persia through the British Corporation .and had been handed over to the United States.

ALLEGATIONS BY HURLEY

REPLY BY BRITISH CORPORATION

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 11. "Major-General P. J. Hurley's allegations in Washington that the British distributed American lend-lease supplies in Persia and 17 other countries in a manner intended to build up a British trade monopoly, to the exclusion of American business, are false," says a statement issued by the United Kingdom Commercial Coroporation. The statement added that as the corporation had its organisation on the spot, it was used for carrying goods arriving in the Persian Gulf through to Russia. There had not been a single transaction in the area designed to establish a permanent British trade interest.

PERSIA AND POWERS

"SHOULD EVACUATE COUNTRY" PREMIER'S STATEMENT (Rec. 9 p.m.) TEHERAN, Dec. 10. •The Persian Government ,is ready to take any steps necessary to assure the Soviet Government of their sincere desire to strengthen good PersianRussian relations." said the Persian Prime Minister (Hakimi) at a press conference in Teheran. "Britain, America, and Russia should evacuate the country. The Persian Government in the interval should be given complete freedom of action to carry out reforms and ensure security."

Reuter's correspondent in Teheran says that civilians are reported to be openly distributing arms among the population in the districts of Sarab and Ardabil, respectively 75 and 120 miles east of Tabriz (capital of the north Persian province of Azerbaijan). The British Embassy in Teheran today categorically denied a report by the Leftist student paper "Safar" that the British Commercial Corporation had begun to exploit chrome mines in Persian Baluchistan.