891.24/296: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 19—5:12 p.m.]
6518. When wheat situation in Tehran, as described in Department’s 5788 of November 18, 6 p.m., was brought to attention of Foreign Office, Foreign Office informed us that it had received a telegram from the British Minister at Tehran, also dated November 14, in which he too stressed the critical trend in the wheat situation. Consequently the Foreign Office telegraphed Minister of State Casey on November 16 to do whatever he could to secure in Iraq or India 3000 tons of wheat for immediate shipment to Iran, on the understanding that this 3000 tons would be replaced from the shipment of 5000 tons previously scheduled for Iran for this month. (For schedule of shipments see Embassy’s 6257 November 7, 6 p.m.)
Foreign Office also informed us that it learned recently that 3500 tons of barley were available in Iraq and that it has telegraphed this information to the British Minister at Tehran and has asked him to try to arrange for a daily shipment of 500 tons of this barley by rail to Tehran.
No reports have been received as yet from Minister Casey and the British Minister at Tehran regarding the results of their efforts to get wheat and barley to Iran from the sources mentioned above.
Foreign Office, in giving us the foregoing information, added that unfortunately British authorities were not at present in a position to do anything further.