GRESHAM, Oct. 15—The case of a mysterious, foreign-looking letter, possibly from Premier Mohammed M. Mossadegh [sic] of Iran, still is puzzling Postmaster Ivan Swift.

Swift was scratching his head in wonderment today at the letter which arrived last Thursday, addressed simply, “Honored Gresham Oregon, Portland U.S.A.”. It came by registered mail and was postmarked Teheran. Five Iranian stamps, pasted neatly in a row, adorned the back of the envelope.

Unable to find a return address, Swift took matters into his own hands and opened the correspondence. Inside were these neatly typed sentences in English:

“Dear Sir, Many thanks for your letter of 9 Sept. 1951. I appreciate sincerely your esteemed thoughtfulness and kind consideration. Respectfully yours, Pr. M. Mossadegh.”

Swift went to the Gresham newspaper with the story, in hopes someone might have corresponded with the Iranian premier, now in the United States. He has had no replies and has issued a plea for anyone knowing the reason for the correspondence to contact him at once.

“Technically, it should be sent to the dead letter office,” Swift confessed. “But it does look sort of official.”

The postmaster discounted a theory that the letter might have been meant for another Gresham. He said there are only three other cities by the name in the United States—in Nebraska, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

“I don’t know what to do.” he asserted. “I hope someone claims it.”

He said he may take the letter to a Gresham youth who formerly lived in White Russia, hoping the lad might be able to decipher the crest on the letterhead or the foreign markings on the envelope.

GRESHAM, Oct. 17—An oil distributor Tuesday claimed the orphan letter, signed by Iranian Premier Mohammed Mossadegh, which has laid unclaimed for five days at the Gresham post office,

Bill Herron, who owns the Western Oil company, NE 101st avenue and Sandy boulevard, went to Gresham Postmaster Ivan Swift and claimed the letter which Swift had opened last Thursday when he could find no return address on the envelope. It was addressed to “Honored Gresham Oregon, Portland U.S.A.” [W. B. Herron, Western Oil Company, Portland, OR]

“I suppose my signature must have become obliterated on the letter I wrote to Mossadegh,” Herron explained. “I’m sure happy Mr. Swift opened the letter and the newspapers found out about it.”

Herron said he had written Premier Mossadegh on September 9, stating his views on the Middle East situation.

Herron said he immediately sent a telegram to the premier, now attending United Nations sessions in New York, acknowledging receipt of the communication.