Evening star., 1944-11-05
Soviet Paper Charges
u. 5. Troops Are in
Iran Without Pact
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Renewing Soviet criticism of the
Iranian government for refusing to
discuss oil concessions to Russia un-
til after the war, Izvestia, official
Soviet government paper, declared
yesterday that American troops were
in Iran without any agreement with
Iran.
Presence of American service
troops in Iran was disclosed in 1912
Their mission has been to supply
war materials to Russia via the Per-
sian Gulf route and the Trans
Iranian railway, which American
Army men operate and have virtu-
ally rebuilt, along with new high
ways. Immense quantities of Amer
lean arms have gone to Russia over
that route.
Russia and Britain took over in
Iran in the summer of l94l, dividing
the country into northern and
southern spheres of influence. Iran
long has been regarded as poten-
TALLY one of the worlds rich sources
Of petroleum.
Purpose of Question Unclear.
The Soviet purpose in apparently
questioning the propriety of Ameri-
can presence in Iran at this time,
when the Persian Gulf supply route
Is less vital to Russia, was not made
clear by Izvestia.
The paper reviewed Iranian for
eign policy throughout most of the
goth century and asserted the So
Wet Union took the lead in helping
Iran abolish the old regime of ca
pitulations.
The article said the Iran news
paper of Saed zia-zed- din, has
published a letter from the United
States ambassador to the Iranian
government saying that the decision
not to grant an American oil con-
cession until the end of the war
would not cause the American
Government regret or alarm because
Iran is an independent country.
But nobody is fighting against
the independence of Iran. The
matter referred to oil concessions
for the Soviet Union in Northern
Iran"
POstponement Recognized.
American Ambassador Leland B.
Morris last Wednesday recognized
the Iranian governments DECISION
to postpone oil talks until after the
war, and the British minister, Sir
Reader Billiard, likewise raised no
objection to the postponement.
Russia, however, has clamored
against the decision since it was
announced October rg.
Izvestia went on yesterday to say
that the Iranian paper from which
it said was published by the leading
supporter of Premier Mohammed
Saed, was violent about how to
connect (reconcile) the fact of the
stay of foreign troops in Iranian
territory with the sovereignty and
independence of Iran"
1t said the presence of Soviet and
British troops was in conformity
with treaty but there are also
American troops, and these are in
Iran without any agreement with
the Iranian government"
Izvestia said the Soviet govern
ment cannot fail to consider" that
Iranian refusal of a Soviet oil offer
lis a manifestation of reactionary
Iranian elements which aim to pre-
vent rapprochement between the
U. S. S. R. and Iran"
Consultations Expected.
Meanwhile it was authoritatively
reported in London that the United
States, Russia and Britain would
hold special consultations to settle
the question of Iranian oil conceS-
SionS.
Reports from Teheran indicated
an Iranian government crisis re-
sulting from refusal to grant Rus
sia's request for oil concessions was
fast approaching climax.
Teheran correspondents reported
that the Iranian capital was alive
with rumors of the imminent resig-
nation of Premier Mohammed Saed.