Evening star., 1942-12-18
(Second OF a Series.)
BY LELAND STOWE,

carpets, the Persian Gulf and Omar
Khayyam," laughed the young
American Army captain. "A couple
of months ago got my orders, out
of the blue. Next thing I knew 1
was here in Teneran."
And Teheran, we must admit, is
about as topsy-turvy as any war
fevered, inf1ation-smitten capital on
the globe today. While I was there
new batteries for a car cost $120, a
standard-sized typewriter was SELL
ing for $400, razor blades could be
had for 81 dozen, and q plump
Persian playboy had just bought q
new Buick for $4,000. Thousands
OF the city's ragged masses were
standing in the breadlines for
hours. When the bakeries opened
their doors men and boys fought
frantically to get within reach of a
small norsel. and hundreds daily
were turned away empty-handed.
But Teheran had accumulated
two new night clubs, very chic and
de luxe, since had stopped there
last spring on my way to Russia;
and also sWanky restaurant called
the Polonia as an invitation to the
thousands of Polish refugees who
arrived as-and managed to remain
-Teheran's biggest social problem.
The first of last April 1 could have
purchased a handsome engraved
cigarette case of Persian silver for
$40. In mid-November the same
shopkeeper quoted me a price which
amounted to more than $40, and
when I turned away the expression
on his face clearly indicated that
plenty of other Americans, or Eng
lismen, would be along.
Everything Is Topsyturvy.
Everything is crowded and bustl-
Ing in Teheran and everything is
topsyturvy. Iran is country which
produces enough wheat to feed it
self, yet it is already suffering from
an acute food shortage-because
there are not nearly enough trucks
available to deliver wheat and vege-
tables to Trans cities and big towns.
Completely unaware that the coun-
try is on the verge of serious food
riots, unless the Allies can ship
hundreds of motor lorries there very
soon, hundreds of British Tommies
jostle along the sidewalks, laughing
and joking The same sidewalks
are jammed with people of dozens
of races and tongues, including Rus
sian officers, Sikhs and Ghurkas
from India, Hungarians, Polish, Ru-
manians, Jewish and Serbian ref
ugees; and now a sprinkling OF
American Army boys.
Only 10 years ago Teherans
streets were also crowded with
camels. For Iran, which is more
than six times larger in area than
the British Isles, consists chiefly of
vast deserts. But Trans camels and
donkeys were conquered and BAN
ished by King Automobile during
the past decade. So today, in a
desperate effort to ease its trans
portation crisis, the Iranian govern
ment has ordered $500 camels to
be imported from India-a vast
desert country, importing camels
But the camels will have to walk
all the way from India. That means
they can't arrive for several months.
In fact, it takes 40 days for camel
caravan to cover the 500 miles from
Meshed Gnside Iran) to Teheran
whereas cars can Go it in three days
But when the British took over the
lower half Of Iran they comman-
deered, for war purposes. 1900 out
of the 1900 motor lorries in the
entire country.
No Rations, Despite All.
Teheran alone consumes between
$50 and 300 tons of wheat day-so
it takes nearly 100 of the remaining
500 trucks in all Iran to keep most
of Teheran's 100000 population sup
piled with a minimum Of bread.
Then the $4,000 Polish refugees re-
quire a good many lorries for their
needs: and there are scores of other
urgent needs for trucks, and there
are another 14,000,000 Iranians scat
tered around the country with may
be 100 trucks. left over to cater to
their necessities-and the tires are
wearing out fast on what few trucks
there are.
Despite all this, there is no ration
Ing of wheat, or bread, or rubber
tires, in Iran. Hoarding of wheat
goes merrily on by members Of the
country's upper and middle classes,
but the local government is describ-
ed as powerless to stop it. Who
saws that Teheran is not topsy-
turvy? One American remarked to
me, boarding OF wheat is getting
worse here every day, but the Iran
Ian Parliament is in such bedlam
that the government can't do any
thing. They can't stop it, but we
don't stop it for them. You see the
British want to be as diplomatic as
possible. They always hesitate to
intervene. They don't want to ap-
pear to use strong-arm methods, and
some of them dent worry much
about the reactions of the Allied
occupation on the country itself.
Anyhow, this thing is building up
for a bust-up, unless the Allies get
busy hunting for solutions"
Look to America.
So below the busting. carefree
gaiety of Teheran's street scenes and
night life the problem of food,
existence and square deal to
100000 Iranians is daily becoming
more acute. And. as 1t happens, the
Iranian government and the Iranian
people are looking more and more to
Americans to lend them disinter-
ested help in their great national
dilemma. The Iranians turn chiefly
to the Americans because British
commercial interests. such as the
tremendously profitable Anglo-Iran-
ian Oil Co., have had an important
influence on their country for a
long time and they have acquired a
fear of British domination. Rightly
or wrongly, as in so many other
parts of the world the Iranians feel
that Americans will be less likely to
us their country as a pawn OF
empire"
So a striking assortment Of Amer
ican exnerts and advisers have been