Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

DECASSIFIED OFFICE OF State DEB Dept. Guidelines, NLT, Sec. Date March 3-402 q-y-sr 6, 1982 THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON OF STATE January 10, 1951 By, SECRET SECURITY INFORMA TION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS IRAN Ambassador Henderson has informed Prime Minister Mosadeq that we have regretfully decided that we cannot, without violation of the law, continue to extend military aid to Iran in the absence of more concrete assurances regarding Iranian policies. Mosadeq said he would be glad to have the US continue military aid to Iran but that he could not give any commitments in return. If he were to do so, he said, he would get into trouble internally and externally. He might well become the target of various elements to such an extent as would enable the Tudeh to take over from the National Front. His Government rested entirely on its support by the masses and he could not make it vulnerable to attack by the Tudeh and other groups by making commitments in return for military aid. Henderson told him the Embassy was giving the matter careful study to see if it could not work out some device to meet the situation. It was agreed that there would be a minimum amount of public comment on the matter. EUROPEAN DEFENSE Foreign Minister Stikker of The Netherlands has in- COMMUNITY formed our Charge at The Hague that as a result of his meeting with the other Foreign Ministers in Paris a week ago he feels reasonably sure that agreement regarding the European Defense Community will be reached in the relatively near future. He intimated that the Dutch are prepared further to modify their previous positions on unsolved issues in order to facilitate overall agreement. Stikker indicated his concern that the EDC concept, as envisaged by the French, does not dovetail into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and he quoted a recent statement by French Foreign Minister Schuman in this connection. However, Stikker appeared reassured when our Charge told him that the US strongly supports the EDC concept since it not only offers the most practical solution to the problem of creating an adequate European defense with a minimum of delay, but also because it may provide the vehicle to achieve the unity of Western Europe. Moreover, the US Government considers the EDC as a necessary adjunct to NATO and in no way inconsistent with the latter. He assured Stikker that the US would oppose any attempt to change what it considered to be the desirable relationship between the EDC and NATO. In reporting this conversation, our Charge has suggested that a message from the Secretary would be very effective in bringing the Dutch around. SECRET SECURITY INF FORMA TION