Evening star., 1952-04-24
Truman Likens
Steel Seizure 10
Action on Iran
Correction Is Issued
After He Tells of
UItimutum' to StoIin
By Joseph A. Fox

SSSSH" ~ SN
President Truman said today he
sent an ultimatum to Premier
Stain in 1945 or in 1916 and
forced the withdrawal of Soviet
forces from Iran. But the White
House later issued a statement
saying that the President actually
had addressed no ultimatum to
the Russian leader and that his
comment referred to a State De-
partment message dispatched on
March 6, 1916.
In attempting to straighten out
a mixup, the White House state
ment also said the note had been
made public at the time of it's
dispatch through the State De-
partment. President Truman had
told reporters at his news confer
ence they were hearing some
hitherto undisclosed history.
The news conference statement
was made as he was defending his
course in seiZing the steel industry
and as he told Of other instances
where he had taken action to cope
with emergencies.
Terms Steel Talk "Hooey."
The President prefaced his
news conference with the state
ment that there had been a lot
Of hooey in talk about the steel
seizure. He said this also applet
to what some members of the
American Society of Newspaper
Editors thought was assertion Of
his powers to seize press and radio
at new conference a week ago.
The later White House state
ment also said that the Presidents
comment about halting a threat
ened march on Trieste by Marshal
Tito's Yugoslavian forces actually
related to demand by the United
Kingdom and the United States
on the Yugoslavs to terminate
their occupation of Trieste in
May. 1945.
The President had told reporters
he did not remember whether 1t
was 1945 or 1916 that he had di-
rected the ultimatum to Stain.
Nearly two hours after the press
conference had ended, Roger
Tubby, assistant press secretary.
called reporters to his Office and
said q question had arisen as to
the Presidents use Of the word
"ultimatum," and then he added:
'"The President was using the
term in a rion-technicals layman's
sense, referring to United States
leadership In the United Nations
particularly the Security Council
and through diplomatic chan
nels in the spring of 1916, which
was a major factor in bringing
about the Soviet withdrawal from
Iran."
Tells Of 1916 Role.
Mr.. Tubby then explained a
note from the United States to
the Soviet government was for
warded on March 6, 1916, making
our position perfectly plain with
respect to the situation in Iran"
The trouble was occasioned by
RusSia'S refusal to get wartime
forces out of Iran and instead
setting up puppet regime in the
northern part of the oil-rich coun-
try.
Mr.. Tubby said that the note
was published on March Z, and
'as you probably recall. the Rus
slams then Withdrew their troops
from Iran in May. 1896"
Mr.. Tubby said he thought the
President had in mind, speaking
Of ultimatum, the note that this
country had sent to Russia, plus
other action taken in conjunction
with our Allies.
Mr.. Tubby also said that the
Presidents reference to a certain
date by which Russia was told to
get out of Iran or face action
by the United States actually had
reference to the deadline for
evacuation Of Iran by foreign
troops which had earlier been
agreed to. Under an Allied agree
ment to which Russia was a party,
Allied forces were to be removed
within six months after the war.
Armed Strength Cited.
In his news conference discus
sion, MIR. Truman had said the
Russian leader complied. be-
cause at that time the United
States had Army and Navy
forces on hand to back up the
demand.
Mr.. Truman also asserted that
on one occasion Marshal Tito had
been warned against a threatened
march on Trieste. The President
said he ordered the Mediterranean
fleet into that area and there was
no march.
While he refused pointedly to
deny any claim to power to seize
press and radio, the President said
(See TRUMAN, Page A-5)
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