The Persian Corridor and Aid to Russia

The story of early planning explains how it came about that the first American effort was in Iraq and why that effort was short-lived. For six months from November 1941 the Iraqi chapter was longer on planning than on performance. The ordnance plan is an extreme instance: almost all planning, almost no performance in the field. The case of the Iranian Mission's first job in Iraq was less extreme, though more than a million dollars and the best working months of the year had been expended on projects when change of plan transferred them to the British before they were fairly started.¹ In the early stages of new ventures, trial and error take their toll of the best-laid plans.

The first plans were very large indeed. Broached by the British before Pearl Harbor put a global strain upon American resources, these plans indicated both a belief that the Americans could do anything and the hope that they would. British needs were great, and the President had directed that their needs should govern.

Following the Washington decision in September 1941 to establish the Iranian Mission, the War Office, London, instructed the Commander-in-Chief, India, to make suggestions for American projects in road construction and maintenance, port development with rail connections, maintenance of American vehicles being operated by the United Kingdom Commercial Corporation, and development of inland water transport. This last field of activity, as has been pointed out, was never entrusted in whole or in part to the Americans; but tasks in the other fields named by the War Office were duly considered for assignment to the Iranian Mission.² The command relationship between India

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