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{
    "localId": "193224320",
    "label": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq, George McGhee, Paul Nitze, and Lieutenant Colonel Walters",
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    "id": "193224320",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/193224320",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq, George McGhee, Paul Nitze, and Lieutenant Colonel Walters",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/193224320",
    "collections": [
        "Dean Acheson Papers",
        "Secretary of State Files"
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 24,
            "logicalDate": "1951-10-01",
            "month": 10,
            "year": 1951
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{
    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-da/201181/1721934/1721934-37-04.jpg",
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    "ocrText": "SECRET\nARCHIVES RECORDS \"NATIONAL AND\n-4-\nDr. Mossadegh said that in his mind they would cancel one\nanother out, and he was anxious to settle this quickly a. possible.\nThe Secretary then asked whether in this cuncellation of counter-\nclaims the Iranians included the revenues due the Iranian Government\nand atill unpaid by the ATOC. Drl Mossadogh said that he folt that\nin return for the ATOC instellations in the oil fields, the pipe lines\nand other properties, including the anall refinery at Kermanshah, the\nIranians vere willing to forego all counter-clains, but they would want\na release from the AIOC releasing the Irenian Government from any claims\nwhatsoever. They would be willing on their part to give a similar\nrolease. He did not went e lot of matters pending.\nThe Secretary then took up the question of the duration of the\ncontract for the purchase of oil. He said that the purchasing organiza-\ntion vould undoubtedly wish to have a long-tern contract guaranteeing\nitsolf a continuous supply of petroluem. Dr. Mossedegh then ventured\nthe figure of ten years.\nThe Secretary did not feel this would be long enough. He\nthought 20 or 25years would be more acceptable. Drl Mossadegh soid that\n25 years would be too long, and the Secretary then said.15 or 20 yeers.\nDr. Mossadegh then said he would accept the Secretary's orders and 6. gree\nto 15 years. The Secretary laughingly said that he had no ordera to\ngive. Dr. Mossadegh then reiterated his acceptance of a 15-year contract.\nDr. Mossadegh then said that as far a.3 he could make out, the\nmain question on which no agreement had a yet been reached was the\nquestion of price. This was the most important question of all. He\nbegged the Secretary not to forget the matter of price. Dr. Mossadegh\nthen said that he had asked his experts for prices, and produced a list\nof prices for petroleum products. He indicated that the price which\nhe had been given by his experts waa much greater than the price which\nhad been indicated to him by Mr. MeGhee and Mr. Nitze.\nThe Secretary explained to hin that this Mas the list price,\nor the posted price. This was not the actuel cost to purchasers who\nacquired oll in this area. Dr. Mossadegh was not able to understend\nthis very clearly, and inquired whether a better price then that given\nhin by Mr. MeChee and Mr. Nitze could not be obtained.\nMr. Nitze seid he did not believe it could; that the price\nthey had given him was the price which would make Irenian oil com-\npetitive. The Secretary explained that there was a surplus of crude\npetroleum aveilable and that if it cost the distributing componies\nmore to acquire it in Iran than to produce it elsevhere, they would\nsimply increase production elaewhere. Dr. Mossadegh said this would be\ntoo bad for the Iranians. He said that the company had been able to pay\n28 million pounds in taxes to the British Government, and inquired as\nto where this money was now going.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE a 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E)\nDept. of State letter, A 5-24-75\nthe NLT- HC NARS Oct 60376"
}