Evening star., 1951-05-19
Iran Should Negotiate

Britain is we'll within its rights in calling
upon the Teheran government for high-level ne
gotiations regarding the future of the Anglo
Iranian Oil Company. In terms of both 1ntera
national law and common sense, the issue cannot
be dealt with unilaterally without causing fric
ton and trouble that could have grave conse-
quenceS for all parties concerned. Premier Mo-
hammed Mossadegh, If he has the interests of
his own country at heart and If he does not want
to ALLEVIATE the free world, ought therefore to
respond affirmatively to London's note calling
for talks aimed at solving the problem in fair,
reasonable and friendly spirit.
AS far as international law is concerned, the
giant Anglo-Iranian Company Is British enter
prise organized on the basis of Teheran-
granted concession that is supposed to remain in
force until the year 1898. Iran has right as
sovereign nation whose soil contains the pc
troleum being produced by the company, to seek
to modify that concession or even to nationalize
the property. as it has decided to do. Legally
however it is not free to act in unilateral
manner. BY every measure of fairness and JUS
tice, it owes it to Britain as the other party to
the agreement, to enter upon bateral negotia-
tions before undertaking to carry out the ma
tionalization project
Beyond that, as matter of common sense,
the Mossadegh government ought certainly to
make haste slowly in attempting to nationaze
the company. Iran, after all, has neither the
skilled manpower. the technical know-how, the
administrative personnel nor the shipping fa-
cilities to enable it, by ITSELF to insure the eff
cient exploitation and marketing of it's great
oil resources. Yet it must have such exploita-
tlon and marketing If 1t is to receive an income
at least equal to what it has been receiving in
the form of British royalties and concession fees
an income indispensable to its efforts to bring
alnl
Unfortunately, however, these and similar
practical considerations seem to have been swept
aside by the Iranians Fanatical extremists
aided and abetted by the outlawed Communist
Tudeh Party whose members have now begun
TO beat the drums for the seizure of American
oil property on Bahrein, an island not under
Trans control-have whipped up such a frenzy
OF nauonalism throughout the country that the
voice OF reason has been half terrorized into
silence. Teheran officials who might otherwise
speak out against over-hasty naturalization. or
who might advocate some middle ground COM
promise, are holding their tongues. They have
not forgotten the brutal assassination of Premier
RaZmara.
In such an atmosphere, it can only be hoped
that Premier Mossadegh-who is himself in
clined to be an emotional visionary-win give
the most careful thought to London's note and
have the good Judgment and courage to enter
upon realistic negotiations Trans oi-its con-
tnued efficient production and westward mar
ketlng-ls OF very great Importance not only to
Britain but to all of free Europe It's loss to our
friends would be a major victory for the Krem-
lin. That is one reason why the British have
taken precautionary military measures in con-
nection with the situation. The United States
can hardly fail to back them up in their effort
to work out an amicable settlement with Teheran
Our own interests are perilously involved in the
issue.