Evening star., 1951-07-01

lions against the UnlCeQ STATES, a
At the same time, Soviet diplo-
macy was completing-in Iran
the greatest victory it has obtained
since the end Of the war.
The weak Iranian government,
headed by the aged and siling
Mohammed Mossadegh, not only
took over all the assets Of the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.. but Or
dered complete control of all its
activities. The 1ranian Farlia-
ment passed a Draconian anti
sabotage law, which is an exact
replica Of similar laws applied in
countries behind the Iron Cur
tain. It provides death penalties
for all guilty of sabotage.
Definition Is Elastic
The definition of this word, in
the nations under Soviet tutelage.
is elastic. 1t covers the water
front, extending from actual
deeds of destruction of machinery
and slowdowns in production to
information about the production
potential of an industry.
Tens of thousands Of executives,
engineers and workers in the in
dustries of Iron Curtain countries
in the past have been executed
or sent to labor camps, from
which there is no return, for just
such sabotage activities" The
Iranian government meekly copied
Soviet laws and announced that
it would apply them to the oil
industry, where until week ago
some 1000 British citizens and a
sprinkling of Americans, Swiss
and French have been active.
The British have taken the
hint. They are ready to return
home. So are the nationals of
other Western nations.
The so-called naturalization of
Iranian oil unquestionably is one
| of the most severe blows the
West has received recently. 1t is
not a question of Britain losing
her profits from the exploitation
of the oil fields. That is a very
secondary question for the rest
of the world. But at the present
time, when the American Gov
eminent is strongly hopeful that
the nations of the North Atlantic
Pact will effectively rearm and
meet the ever-growing Eastern
threat, the denial Of oil supplies
from Iran is major body blow.
1t increases inmeasurably the
logistical problem of the United
States, which will be compelled to
provide, at least partially, gas
oline and oil for the Western de-
4 fense forces.
Reaction Moy Spread
The monkey wrench which the
Soviets threw into Iran can cause
further major complications
There is no saying what the ex-
tremist section of the Iranian peo-
/ ple, whose nationalistic and re.
Iligious fanaticism is being famed
by the Moscow workers" may do
in the near future. And while the
British and American govern
ments have taken. unflinchingly
face-slappings by the Chinese
Communists, there seems to be
little disposition in London to
accept these from the Iranians.
/ Neither the State Department
nor the British Foreign Office
conceal their concern that we
might have very serious trouble
in Iran in the next few weeks, with
far greater consequences than in
Korea.
l The Teheran government exists
in name only. It is definitely
mob-controlled and the mob, ir
turn, is being directed by the con.
spirators of the Soviet embassy
Moreover, if the Russians play
their cards as well as they have
played them in the East in the
past, there is a worriSome posi-.
bility that the trends to national
ism and naturalization may
spread to nearby countries-oil-
rich Iraq and strategically impor.
tant Egypt. In all these coun-
tries dislike for the British, lack
Of American interest and the VIC
tory of the Iranian government