Coll 28/1 ‘Persia. Treaties & Relations with Foreign Powers. Treaties with Czechoslovakia, Norway, Germany, Finland, France, U.S.A., Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, Switzerland, Hungary, Japan.’ [‎81r] (161/231)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
A GOOD deal of mystery surrounds the melodramatic reappearance in
Tehran, two months after his official departure, of Mr. C. C. Hart, the former
American Minister here.
2. The present American Charge d’Affaires, who was Mr. Hart’s secretary,
professes to be as mystified as anybody by the arrival of his former chief, without
evening dress, but with a new motor car, to lodge with the archivist of the
Legation. It seems certain that Mr. Hart is engaged on his former profession
of journalism, and has, in the course of a rapid passage through England,
Germany and the Soviet Union, during which he does not seem to have
interviewed any prominent personalities, written up those countries for a group
of newspapers which he is representing. His remarks about Hitler are intended
to enlighten the American public as to the Fiihrer’s real origin, a case of
miscegenation between a rattlesnake and a porcupine. Russia, on the other hand,
is, in Mr. Hart’s opinion, a fine country, where everybody has enough to eat,
though not too much. As for England, I gather that Mr. Hart’s articles are
likely to consist mainly of sobstuff about Westminster Abbey in the style of the
late Horatio Bottomley; while the Irish Free State is dismissed by Mr. Hart in
the statement: “I’m not a believer in any religion, but, my God, those fanatical
Papists just get my goat! ’’ Mr. Hart denies any intention to write about
Persia, in order not to embarrass his successor, but Mr. Wadsworth feels none
too sure that this virtuous resolution will be maintained, and quite expects that/
the next Imperial outburst will be directed against the United States of America. 1
3. Journalism is not, however, according to Mr. Wadsworth, the main
object of Mr. Hart’s return to haunts which he loudly hated. Oil is supposed
to be his main interest, and the impending arrival of Mr. Clapp, the American
oil geologist, who has frequently been employed by the Persian Government,
notably last year at the time of the cancellation of the Anglo-Persian Oil
Company concession, is supposed to portend collaboration. Mr. Clapp has
apparently for many years been attracted by a scheme to exploit the small Semnan
oil-field in order to supply Tehran with oil (see Sir R. Clive’s despatch No. 259
of the 14th June, 1930). Mr. Wadsworth believes that Mr. Hart and Mr. Clapp
are backed by a big concern, and will attempt to get this concession. They are
also said to be interested in the exploitation of oil in Northern Afghanistan, r
The Afghan Ambassador confirms this, so possibly Mr. Hart’s visit to Herat, //
reported in Sir R. Clive’s despatch No. 271 of the 17th June, 1930, may not have]!
been as entirely innocent as he claimed.
4. The chief of police, when asked jokingly by a member of my staff what
Mr. Hart was doing here, poured out a long and most improbable tale about a
carpet designed by Mr. Hart, which a carpet dealer had duplicated and sold
to someone else. General Ayrom admitted, however, that Mr. Hart must be
engaged in other activities as well. Of course, it is possible that, among other
things, Mr. Hart is doing some business in carpet exportation. He had made a
large and expensive collection when Minister here, and obviously intended to
sell some of it on his return to the United States.
5. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India and to His Majesty’s Minister at Kabul (No. 2 M).
/
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 1134/1134/34]
No. 1 .
Sir R. Hoare to Sir John Simon.—[Received February 20.)
(No. 48.)
Sir,
Tehran, January 31, 1934.
I have, &c.
R. H. HOARE.
[40 u—4]
N*