Evening star., 1950-10-04
Struggle for the Middle East
(Second OF a SerieS.)
By w. G. DiIdine

TEHERAN, Iran, Sept. 20. (By
AirmalD. The Iranian Tudeh
Party, outlawed Communist group,
believes itself strong enough to
stage a successful revolution at
any time. It refrains from doing
so because of the party's adher-
ence to the so-called peace front"
and because Of concern lest revolu-
ton here touch off a series of
events which might lead to an
other world war.
This is the view of a source
close to underground Tudeh cir
cleS.
The party, since it was de-
clared illegal following an at
tempt 18 months ago to assassl-
nate Shah Mohammed Reza
Pahlevi, makes no public state
ments except through it's secretly
printed newspapers and leaflets.
It's members decline to answer
questions about party strength or
organization. but they have no
hesitation in saying that Tuoeh
is gaining more and more mem
berS every day.
Their statements are supported
by foreign observers, who cite the
furry of activity in getting sigma
lures to the Stockholm peace pc
tition" and the recent doubling inI
size of the party's official news
paper as evidence of a member
ship rise.
Control of Army Vital.
This presumed growth forms a
complementary curve to the de-
cline in American prestige in Iran.
1t is doubtful if any revolution
ary movement could succeed here
unless its leaders were able quickly
to take control of the army from
within or unless outside military
help were supplied by a strong
neighbor.
The former possibility is at pres
ent fairly well ruled out by the
strongly anti-Communist flavor of
the armed forces. Therefore itl
must be the latter one the Reds
are thinking Of when they repre-
sent themselves as reluctant to
light the fuse of revolution lest a
third great war be started. It is
taken as automatic here that gen.
eral war would follow an invasion
of Iran by Russian troops on any
pretext.
(The converse is that a So
Wet strike through Iran to the
worlds greatest oil fields about
the head of the Persian Gulf
would Immediately follow out
break Of world war on any other
front.)
Any one can make his own guess
as to actual Tudeh numerical
strength. Estimates by informed
persons vary wildly.
Ratio Computed Roughly.
Yelled statements by a Tudeh
source to this writer indicate that
the source figured party strength |
in Teheran alone to be at least
10000 in city which, with its
environs, may count about 900, 900
people.
This gives a ratio of one Tudeh |
member to every 80 urban Irani-
ans. If, by a rough rule of thumb,
this ratio be reduced to one in 100
to allow for tribal and village pop
ulation, the minimum figure of
respectable 10000 emerges as the
Tudeh estimate of it's own ma
tional strength.
If the membership is of any
thing like this magnitude. Tudeh |
is the largest and certainly the |
best organized political party in
Iran.
At the other end of the guessing
scale is the official police estimate
OF 400 to 500 Tudeh members in
Teheran and negligible quantities
elsewhere. This attitude is like
that Of American police officials
who loudly proclaim they have got
the bookies on the run whenever
they chase few customers out of
q horSe-bet parlor.
Membership Selected.
According to my source, the
Tudeh Party does not indulge in
wholesale recruiting but builds up
its ranks in careful and methodi-
cal manner. Membership prospects
are not wooed but are offered the
privilege of joining only after a
long period Of observation of their
political activities and stated be-
nefs.
Membership is not granted i'm
mediately upon acceptance of in
vitation. First comes a period of
apprenticeship and indoctrina-
ton. If the prospect Is illiterate.
as are the great majority of Irani-
ans, he is encouraged to learn to
read and write, and classes are
provided for this purpose.
Some do not survive apprentice
ship and are cast adrift. Belong
ing to Tudeh is a crime against
the state, and it would seem these
rejected recruits might be sourceI
of danger to party security. How
ever, 1t is said timber is selected
so carefully that such betrayals
are unknown.
Party members are assessed