IMPERIAL EMBASSY OF IRAN

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20008

December, 1973

The Ambassador

I should like to take this opportunity to express to you, Mr. Secretary, my very best wishes for the coming New Year. I fervently hope that the atmosphere of happy tidings and festivity which prevails during this holiday season will usher in an era of happiness for the United States which surpasses that which it has enjoyed in the past.

The peace for which you, Mr. Secretary, work so resolutely falls within the realm of human possibility and I wish you all success as you persevere in your efforts to obtain this just end.

As the New Year dawns, with it will come a renewed resurgence of faith and hope in the capacity of man to overcome all the difficulties which beset him. I know that you, Mr. Secretary, will rededicate yourself to this noble end.

I hope that you will be pleased to accept the accompanying picture which was taken at the White House on the occasion of your swearing-in as Secretary of State.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE
WASHINGTON

September 27, 1974

Dear Ardeshir:

Many thanks for the caviar you gave
us in New York. As always, we will
enjoy it immensely.

Also, Nancy thanks you for the
magnificent bouquet of orchids. It
was a thoughtful gesture and a very nice
welcome to the Waldorf.

With warm regards,

His Excellency
Ardeshir Zahedi
Ambassador of Iran
3005 Massachusetts Avenue N. W.
Washington, D. C.

-2-

Thus I want to thank you for your
generosity, hospitality and kindness toward
members of our delegation and for the admirable
and constructive manner in which you conducted
negotiations for the United States. Moreover, I
was very pleased that you were able to come to the
Embassy on the eve of your departure for the
Middle East. I know how very busy you are, but
between you and me, you made a good decision
by coming.

Since I am writing to you confidentially,
I want you to know that His Majesty has responded
positively to the matter of the gentleman (a mutual
friend) of whom we spoke at the luncheon you so
kindly hosted at the State Department. Of course,
I will inform you of the details when I have the
pleasure of seeing you upon your return to the
United States.

Regarding the announcement of the agree-
ment between Iran and Iraq, for your information
it is in the same context of our discussions in
Zurich with His Imperial Majesty.

TEXT OF MESSAGE

DEAR MR. SECRETARY:

I WAS PLEASED TO RECEIVE YOUR MESSAGE OF FEBRUARY 8, 1975
INFORMING ME OF THE FORTHCOMING VISIT TO IRAN OF MR. CHARLES
E. ROBINSON, UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS.

I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING MR. ROBINSON ON HIS ARRIVAL HERE,
AND FEEL THAT HIS VISIT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL IN DISCUSSING
THE SUBJECTS OF MUTUAL INTEREST TO WHICH YOU HAVE REFERRED.
YOUR EMBASSY HAS ALREADY BEEN INFORMED THAT MY OFFICE WILL BE
PLEASED TO COOPERATE IN ARRANGING MR. ROBINSON'S MEETING WITH
OTHER OFFICIALS OF THE GOVERNMENT WHOM HE MAY WISH TO SEE.
I LOOK FORWARD WITH PLEASURE TO OUR MEETING IN WASHINGTON NEXT
MONTH.

WITH WARM REGARDS,

THE HONORABLE
HENRY KISSINGER
SECRETARY OF STATE
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Transmitted Embassy of Iran
Receipt Nbr. V 1494243, 2/21/75

February 19, 1975

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

I deeply appreciate your efforts to
make my visit to Zurich so enjoyable and
productive.

Please convey my sincere thanks to
His Imperial Majesty for receiving me with
such warmth and for sharing with me his
wise views on matters of vital interest to
our two countries, and the entire world.

His Excellency
Ardeshir Zahedi,
Ambassador of Iran,
Imperial Embassy of Iran.

IMPERIAL EMBASSY OF IRAN

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20008

24 December, 1975

The Ambassador

It was so good to see you again last Sunday night, particularly since Nancy and you were so relaxed and full of smiles.

You indicated an interest in the letter I received from Mr. Willard Levy, Chairman of the Board of the Angelica Corporation, which resulted from my visit to St. Louis a week ago Monday when I spoke before a convocation at Saint Louis University and later responded to questions after dinner that evening. I am enclosing a copy herewith along with a little booklet which contains the speech I made as well as the citation which accompanied the conferral of my honorary doctoral degree.

* Since you said that you would like to come to the dinner which I'll give when Her Imperial Highness, Princess Ashraf Pahlavi,

It is a great honor and a great pleasure for me to be here today on this very special occasion. A great honor because you were kind enough to select me as an honorary member of your university for which I am deeply grateful. And a great pleasure because I enjoy immensely every opportunity to further discover the land and the people of the United States.

As well as being so gratifying, I consider it my professional duty as Iranian Ambassador to your country to take full advantage of each possibility to promote understanding and cooperation between our two nations, and this is a duty that I welcome and cherish.

As I considered what I wanted to say today, three thoughts came to mind,

One - that your city was named after the French king, Louis 9th or St. Louis, whose greatest title of glory, throughout his reign was his constant and stubborn quest for one goal, justice.

2

Two - that your country will start celebrating, next month, the bicentennial anniversary of its revolution at a time that finds us Iranians in the midst of a thorough and swift period of change that we call, "The Revolution of the Shah and the People," and these two revolutions bear witness to our common goal, progress.

Three - that I shall be speaking in the very city that saw the explorers, Lewis and Clark, begin their adventurous expedition. However strong was the call of the West, we must remember and admire them for another trait -- their courage.

And if you combine justice, progress and courage, you will have the summary of all efforts of all good governments over the whole of history.

****

It is my wish today, in such fitting and congenial surroundings, to state briefly what we in Iran, under the leadership of His Imperial Majesty, the Shahanshah Aryamehr, are trying to do to give meaning and content to these words in the lives and hearts of our people, and to investigate what we, Americans and Iranians, can together contribute to the fulfillment of these dreams.

3

In 1963, at the beginning of our revolution,
this is what our sovereign wrote: and I quote:

> "I looked at Iranian society, recognizing its
> weaknesses, needs and potentialities, I studied
> the structures of other societies and saw how they
> had progressed. The realization came to me that
> Iran needed a deep and fundamental revolution
> that could at the same time put an end to all
> factors that caused injustice, tyranny and
> exploitation, and all aspects of reaction which
> impeded progress and kept our society backwards."

Since 1963, under our beloved sovereign's guidance
and with the help and disciplined efforts of the Iranian
people, we have travelled many roads leading to progress
and justice.

None has been, or will be more important or
decisive than education. For in the process of developing
our country, we do not seek to harness man and his
mind to the raw demands of economic achievement and
thus transform him into a puppet-like victim forever of
forces beyond his reach and his understanding. We,
on the contrary, intend to fully use our natural resources

4

to serve our people in their quest, not only for material
well-being, but more importantly in their effort to give
themselves the broadest opportunity to develop and to
enjoy their intellectual and creative powers. To that
end, we, of course, do not seek a mass of ignorant
subjects. We want, and we need, a nation of educated
and responsible citizens. So, let me tell you something
of Iranian education.

In the past two decades, the number of schools
in Iran has increased from 7,000 to 44,000. The
number of college students rose from 75,000 to
150,000. In 1953, there were only four universities
in Iran. Today, we have more than 100 universities
and institutions of higher learning. When the school
bell rang this September, over 7 million Iranians of
all ages entered some institution of learning - which
incidentally is well over one fifth of our entire
population.

Last year, the Shah ordered free education for
every Iranian attending school. Free lunch and milk
were also provided for every child in school.

5

Nevertheless, at the root of ignorance and the
resulting waste of human resources, lies illiteracy.
In the essentially democratic tradition of our culture,
and in keeping with the national character of our people,
we have devised an original and highly efficient tool
to eradicate this problem: The Literacy Corps.

As of today, more than thirty thousand young
Iranians of military draft age are serving
their country in this social, rather than military
capacity, and to offer their knowledge and help to the
people of mountain villages and remote areas. As a
result, we expect to achieve full literacy within the
next twelve years. To facilitate educational programs,
two billion dollars have been allocated for educational
satellites, T. V. and other visual aides.

In order to eradicate illiteracy in the world,
our sovereign proposed to UNESCO that every nation
set aside the equivalent of one day of their defense
budget for that purpose. Unfortunately, this was one
of the rare occasions that the big powers agreed to
disagree with our proposal.

Moreover, His Majesty also proposed the creation
of a Universal Welfare Legion. Under this noble plan,
the Youth Corps, through the United Nations, would
enable individuals of any country, class, race, or
religion to devote a part of their lives to the service of
mankind.

****

6

I want to assure you that it is not my intention
to review, in detail, all the programs undertaken in
our Shah and People's Revolution. In order to enable
you to grasp the scope and depth of our efforts, I just
wish to mention several significant areas and the
results obtained thus far.

In the field of health, we have extended free
medical care to every man, woman and child in Iran.
We have also created a Health Corps, which operates
according to the principles described in connection
with the Literacy Corps.

In the field of agriculture, we have carried out a
very extensive land reform. We distributed to the
peasants the land they are ploughing, doing away with the
system of the absentee landlord that kept the farmers in a
state of servitude and poverty, and our food production in
a state of waste. In the same spirit, we have invested
considerable sums in the research of water usage and in
the construction of dams and irrigation networks throughout
the country.

In the field of industry, in order to ensure the
workers' sense of participation in the operation and
prosperity of their companies, we have enacted a law
providing them with the first option to buy 49% of the
shares of privately-owned companies and 99% of the shares
of most government-owned industries. By 1978, with the

7

assistance of government loans at very low rates,
this transfer of property will be achieved. Then,
the industries, which will be owned totally or in part
by the public, will be in keeping with an economy
that has grown for the past decade at the average rate
of 11% a year. Our per capita GNP which was only $100
in 1953 has now reached $1,350 and is expected to go
over $2,000 by the year 1977.

****

I cannot fail to speak also about one of the major
problems facing the world today: food. Our world
briefly had the luxury of believing that it had forever
rid itself of the plague of famine. It is now facing a
situation that, if left unattended, will bear us the bitter
fruits of disaster. There are nearly one billion people in
the world today facing hunger, disease and poverty. All
converging factors are warning us. In the belief
that to govern is to foresee, our sovereign recently sent
a message to the Secretary General of the United Nations
calling attention to the urgency of the crisis and
outlining various ways of overcoming it. The food
crisis calls for extensive international cooperation
and effort that the world has not made up its mind to give.

8

In the most recent world food conference in Rome, the Iranian delegation made concrete proposals to avoid a food crisis which would be a catastrophe for mankind.

Be it of the food crisis or the energy crisis, the name of survival today spells cooperation, bet ween rich nations, between poor nations, and above all between poor and rich nations.

Iran was one of the first countries to receive aid under the United States' technical assistance program and the first to terminate aid a few years later with mutual trust, friendship and good will. Now I am happy to tell you that Iran is one of the most important aid donor nations of the world. Iran's enormous program of international assistance when measured by any yardstick -- be it GNP, per capita income, oil revenue, size of population, or any other criterion -- exceeds the contributions of any other nation in the history of development.

In our effort to contribute to closing the ever widening gap between rich and poor nations, we have provided less developed nations with direct financial aid or long-term loans to the tune of 11.9 billion dollars, which represents 7% of our gross national product.
As a matter of information, U. S. foreign aid remains around

9

half of one per cent of its GNP. On the European side, the Swedish contribution is now reaching one per cent of its GNP.

In addition, most recently, the Shah proposed that OPEC countries set aside 10 cents of the price of each barrel of exported oil for the purpose of creating a fund of one billion dollars in the first year to provide grant aid to less developed countries. This program continues for 5 years, thus providing $5 billion - and was fortunately approved by OPEC. However, His Majesty made it clear last week that had OPEC not approved this proposal, Iran would have carried it out alone.

* * * * *

In conclusion, let me discuss with you briefly my country's foreign policy.

Iran's independent national policy enables us to deal with any country on a basis of respect for the rights of nations and of individuals. We believe this is the essential foundation of mutual trust and cooperation. We do not believe that what is mine is mine but whatever is yours is negotiable.

In cooperation with all its neighboring states, we are using our influence to maintain security and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, which is of vital

10

importance to us and to all oil-consuming nations.
We have made it clear on many occasions, the affairs
of the Persian Gulf are the concern of the littoral
states. And we have expressed our willingness to
assist any country of the region which seeks our support.
Iran believes that the Arab-Israeli conflict can be
brought to a peaceful resolution by the complete withdrawal
of Israeli forces from all occupied Arab territories,
based on resolutions No. 242 and No. 338 of the Security
Council of the United Nations. Let me be frank and
state that if we are not able to solve the problem of
Palestine, there will never be peace in the Middle East.
And that is the crux of the issue.

We have made every effort to maintain peace in
the Middle East. We signed and ratified the treaty of
non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. For six years
now, our sovereign has proposed that the Middle East
be declared a nuclear free zone. We have a similar
proposal for the Indian Ocean.

*****

It is not a matter of choice, it is a question of
survival. It is not only a matter of moral convictions
and traditions, it is a matter of realities, we must
understand that the fate of mankind is one, that our
earth is one.

11

We must understand that we all depend on each other. Only then, we can achieve that which we hope for: justice, and progress for all nations. The contribution of your great nation towards these goals was enormous. Had it not been for your assistance, many countries would not have been able to survive the evils of the Second World War. I hope and pray that you, particularly the younger generation, remember with pride what your country has accomplished. And in spite of recent setbacks, keep up the good work.

Thank you.

SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY

CITATION

Ardeshir Zahedi, diplomat...statesman...innovator... man of courage...man of action...you have dedicated your life to your country -- serving with distinction both at home and abroad.

You are a man of destiny -- born at the right time and right place to have a profound influence on people and events as your country has surged into a leadership role. You have never shrunk from the responsibilities such a destiny entails.

Born in Tehran in 1928, the son of a high-ranking general in the Iranian army, you were instrumental in the growth and development of the present government under His Imperial Majesty, the Shahanshah.

Your loyalty and courage led to your appointment as special advisor to the Prime Minister. Since 1954, you have held the post of Chamberlain to His Imperial Majesty. This appointment was the beginning of a long and close association marked by mutual confidence and trust which has brought you positions of great importance close to the seat of power.

Many of your accomplishments have been in the field of foreign policy but you have had an important impact on domestic matters as well. Completely in accord with the Shah's dream and determination to create "The Great Society," you have significantly contributed to the end that Iran emerge as a leading economic and cultural center in that part of the world.

You yourself received your University degree in the United States and served here first as Ambassador in 1957. Springing from these experiences and from your work as Head of the Iranian Students Program in 1959, the education of Iran's youth -- especially in the excellence of their training abroad -- has been of paramount interest to you. As Ambassador you have taken personal responsibility in strengthening cultural and educational ties among nations -- especially between Iran and the United States. You have pushed these efforts without forgetting or allowing the world to forget Iran's own unique culture and ancient civilization.

Your contribution to the larger diplomacy are equally
noteworthy. From 1967 to 1971 you served as Foreign
Minister of Iran and laid the groundwork for a highly
professional foreign service by consolidating all govern-
ment functions related to international relations to train
young Iranians for the foreign service.

In serving your country as Ambassador to Great Britain
from 1962 to 1966 and twice as Ambassador to the United
States, you have been in a strong position to influence
international affairs. It should be noted that Iranian
accomplishment in the field of foreign policy under the
astute leadership of your Sovereign provokes the admira-
tion of all who are familiar with your country's role in
world affairs.

Your accomplishments have not gone without notice.
You have been decorated by 25 countries, in Europe, Asia, Africa
and South America, but perhaps the honor closest to your
heart is the one bestowed by your own government when
you received the coveted Order of Taj. Limited to ten men,
the honor is reserved for Iran's top citizens -- your
country's best and its brightest.

Ardeshir Zahedi, for your part in the spectacular
development of your country, for your contribution to
world diplomacy, and in recognition of your own personal
valor, Saint Louis University takes pleasure in paying
you public recognition and we are pleased to confer upon you
the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

-- John W. Wagner

Monday, December 8, 1975

Warning to America

"A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY
WILL DESTROY YOU"

Exclusive Interview
With
The Shah of Iran

A key Middle East ruler counts on the U.S. for weapons, modern industry, technology. Americans view Iran as a stable supplier of oil. Yet the once-warm relationship shows signs of fraying. The Shah explains why.

WIDE WORLD

At TEHERAN

Q. Your Majesty, we hear Iran is running into serious money problems despite its oil wealth. Are you going to have to cut back your ambitious development plans?

A We have a budget deficit of over 2 billion dollars, and our income has dropped by about 4 billion, if not more. We are going to try to save as much money as possible, inside the country.

We have started a very serious and meaningful drive against corruption. In many cases we see that our internal corruption is due to the relation of some of these people with foreigners. And, my God, these foreigners are very, very corrupt people! I am not going to speak about cases, but they are awful. The foreigners would not hesitate to make a dirty deal or any kind of bribery they can. We are going to weed this out, and probably this will save money.

We are not going to scrap any of the programs. Maybe some will be delayed by a few months, but that is all. I think we will be capable of carrying out the plan with some little delay.

Q. You are spending billions on defense. Do Iran's security needs justify the build-up of an armed force of such size?

A Obviously, because of what is going on around us and the amount and type of weapons that we see around us.

Just envisage the next 20 years in the general region of the Indian Ocean. And, by "the Indian Ocean," I mean all the countries riparian to that ocean. The East African coast is far from being completely stable and immune to eventual developments which might be harmful to stability in the region. Berbera [site of a Soviet-built naval base in the Somali Republic] is not the only case; there are other sore points.

The Persian Gulf delivers about 70 per cent of Europe's energy needs and about 90 per cent of Japan's. If these lines of communication are not secure, then Japan and Europe will crack. So while we are doing this for ourselves, at the same time I think we are rendering a great service to the whole of Europe and Japan.

I wish the responsibility could be shared by as many other countries as possible. But for the time being we are doing the job.

Q. The U.S. Congress has expressed concern about American involvement in Iran's military build-up. Is there a risk in having a great number of U.S. advisers here?

A First of all, I don't know what the concern is about. We are paying for the arms and the experts. I also don't see what you mean by "involvement," because the contracts state that these people will not be involved in any war between my country and any other country. These are the terms of the contracts.

But let me ask you a question. Could the United States afford to see Iran lost? Could the whole world afford it? You can't just live in your dreamland—your "fortress America"—and let all the countries of the world eventually disappear.

A false sense of security will destroy you—like nothing. If you pursue that policy, Iran is one country that, if it goes, you are going to feel it badly. If we disappear, don't think that the rest of the region will stay as it is. If we go, the inexorable fate of the region will be that the present source of energy to Europe and Japan, and to some degree to the U.S., will not only be in jeopardy but will probably be cut off.

Q. What would you do if Congress embargoes arms sales in the Persian Gulf region?

A That would be so irresponsible that I am not even thinking about it. But if it happens, do you think our hands are tied? We have 10 other markets to provide us with what we need. There are people just waiting for that moment.

If you remain our friends, obviously you will enjoy all the power and prestige of my country. But if you try to take an unfriendly attitude toward my country, we can hurt you as badly if not more so than you can hurt us. Not just through oil—we can create trouble for you in the region. If you force us to change our friendly attitude, the repercussions will be immeasurable.

Q. Are American weapons and technology too sophisticated for your people?

A Well, so far we have been able to handle it; the ratings of units are almost the same as yours. If the rating is lower, it is because of lack of spare parts, and that is your fault. You are not providing the spare parts at the necessary rhythm

57

Copyright © 1976, U.S. News & World Report, Inc.

## INTERVIEW WITH THE SHAH OF IRAN

[continued from preceding page]

demanded and required. All our people receive the exact same education that you give your people, and they graduate from your schools, so if they are not good it is a product of your schools.

**Q** Will Iran continue to buy American arms even if the U.S. doesn't buy more of your oil?

**A** Sure—if we have the money. We never planned to buy more F-14s than first ordered, but we have plans to buy hundreds and hundreds of other types of aircraft from the U.S. This includes F-16 aircraft and other things.

I think the advantages to this country of the AWACS [airborne warning and control system] is without dimension.

### "YOU LOOK LIKE A CRIPPLED GIANT"—

**Q** Does Iran consider the United States a responsible and credible ally?

**A** Well, I am afraid that today America's credibility is not too high. You look rather like a crippled giant. Angola has contributed substantially to that. This kind of policy will only lead you into more Vietnams in the future.

Many things happen before an election, but after the election the world will be the same place and you will have to tackle the same problems. I only hope that after the election you can take decisions and move ahead.

**Q** Some U.S. officials—Treasury Secretary William E. Simon is one—say America should turn away from Iran, move closer to Saudi Arabia—

**A** I think that relations between our two countries are based on such a high level of interest that they couldn't be influenced by the pleasure or taste of individuals with momentary careers.

This is a lasting relationship, and even if people have opinions and influence they are not everlasting.

**Q** Do you anticipate another Arab-Israeli war this year, or more fighting in Lebanon? If there is a war in the Middle East, what will Iran's policy be?

**A** I can't say the situation is rosy. And, again, maybe the American election has something to do with that. I am sure that after the elections in the U.S., things will get moving. In the meantime we must try, all of us, to do whatever we can. I think the best thing to do is to reconvene the Geneva Conference and find a formula for the Palestinians to participate there.

The events in Lebanon were heartbreaking, and that poor country suffered terribly. For the moment it looks like a stalemate—a very dangerous one, too.

I see that the Israeli Prime Minister [Yitzhak Rabin] is saying that he expects a war in May. I have always expressed the opinion that [U.N. Security Council] resolutions 242 and 338 [basically calling for cease-fires, troop withdrawals, peace negotiations] must be implemented. We can't just accept *fait accompli*—the acquisition of land by force—because if you accept it one place, why should you oppose it someplace else?

Israel and the U.N. must seek real guarantees and formulas within secure boundaries for the future. You can't just risk war every time.

The PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] should be at Geneva in some form, because you cannot ignore the existence of so many Palestinians. We have got to accept this. Just as we accept the existence of Israel, we have to accept the existence of the Palestinians, too. It is a reality.

In the event of war, I see no reason to change our attitude. But I hope war will not occur, as it can produce some very unpleasant surprises.

**Q** Your Majesty, do you still believe that Iran will become a world power?

**A** Yes, I think we can do a lot in 25 years' time. I probably won't be around myself, but the foundation will be laid.

In 12 to 13 years the main infrastructure in every field will be solidly laid down. And from there we will just pursue the same policies, using momentum to generate new possibilities and power—economic, industrial and human power, which is so important.

Maybe the oil will be finished by that time, although I hope we can start the conservation of oil in 10 years. In the meantime we will go all out in atomic and solar energy. We shouldn't have ecological problems in dealing with progress. The country is large, we have barren land, and pollution should not be a severe problem. We shall pursue sources of energy and save oil for petrochemical purposes. We also have fantastic reserves of gas.

We will educate the people in various fields needed to make this country a sophisticated one.

**Q** Do you plan to buy nuclear power plants, even a nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant, from the U.S.?

**A** I intend certainly to buy nuclear plants from the U.S. if they are competitive with those offered by France and Germany.

On reprocessing [plants], not yet, because it is only economical if you process large amounts. Maybe one day we shall have so many atomic plants that we will have to do that in our own country.

But don't forget that we signed the nonproliferation treaty, and when we sign something we feel obligated to it.

### GRAFT IN IRAN: "HEADS WILL ROLL"—

**Q** You talked earlier about anticorruption, antiprofiteering campaigns. What new measures do you have in mind?

**A** The fight against profiteering has resulted in a zero inflation rate this year—hopefully zero.

On corruption, we are in a position in this country, through our internal stability, to fight corruption at all levels, not just petty white-collar crimes. If we find corruption at the highest level, heads will roll. And don't doubt that this will be pursued. Other countries may be willing to live with corruption as an existing fact, but not in our case.

Apart from that, we will need some time to establish correct commodity prices, both for local goods and imports. We have been cheated badly by foreigners—foreign companies and firms that were overpricing things. It will take a little time to know the real prices.

**Q** Is Iran a "police state," as so many outsiders charge?

**A** No, I don't think I am divulging any important state secret, but the whole number of people in our secret police or security organization is about 3,400.

I have seen fantastic figures saying that there were millions of people in our secret police and that we have more than a hundred thousand political prisoners. That number is also about 3,200 or 3,300.

It is fantastic how things are exaggerated.

**Q** Yet you have a lot of terrorism. What's behind it all?

**A** [Their] political persuasion is pure Marxist. They can't get away with propaganda, so they are becoming violent. We are offering our people our own philosophy—political, social and economic. Therefore the Marxists are becoming desperate.

First of all, Communism is forbidden in this country by law. Secondly, we have capital punishment for killing and murder. Morally and according to our religion and laws, these people are bound to get capital punishment, and this is what they are getting.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, March 22, 1976

58

IMPERIAL EMBASSY OF IRAN

September 24, 1976

The Ambassador

When I heard Barnee Breeskin reading out
your telegram yesterday, I was sure it was just
another of their little jokes! It didn't seem to
contain nearly enough sauerkraut to have come
from you.

Actually it's a pity you couldn't have come
along. You might have made some good contacts
in case you need a job later in the year !

More seriously though, I have to say that
anything which I may have achieved in Washington
has been in large part due to the spirit of cooperation
and friendship which I have encountered everywhere
and nowhere more than among my colleagues at the
State Department under your leadership.

I was so touched by your message and by
the trouble which you took to send it when you must
have been so terribly busy that I sent a copy to His
Majesty.

7621347

COPIES TO:

S
RF-ws

October 12, 1976

Dear Ardeshir:

Thank you very much for your kind letter of
September 25, conveying the message from His
Imperial Majesty. Needless to say, I am touched
by the thoughts of His Majesty, and I have already
conveyed my appreciation to him.

My thanks to you, as well, for the Dom Perignon,
which I shall share with Nancy in your name on some
appropriate occasion.

His Excellency
Ardeshir Zahedi,
Ambassador of Iran.

MICROFILMED
BY S/S-I

October 26, 1976

Dear Mr. Zakarian:

I was most pleased to meet with you and the members of the National Conference of Editorial Writers in Hilton Head on Saturday, October 2 and I appreciate the cordial reception with which I was greeted.

I found the question and answer sessions productive and stimulating and I enjoyed meeting with your board members, the panelists, and their wives during the reception and dinner.

Mr. John J. Zakarian,
Editorial Writer,
St. Louis Post Dispatch,
900 N. 12th Boulevard,
St. Louis, Missouri.

THE ADMINISTRATOR
FEDERAL ENERGY ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20461

December 14, 1976

Honorable Henry A. Kissinger
Secretary of State
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Henry:

Now that we are approaching our departure from government
service I wanted to take this time to thank you for your
friendship and assistance.

I have been proud to serve under the leadership of
President Ford and with you as part of what must be con-
sidered one of the more outstanding teams ever assembled
for public service.

I hope that our friendship will grow over the years
ahead.