Evening star., 1952-08-12
Dictator Mossodeqh

NOW CnaC the uanlan senate mas IOllOWeQ
the Chamber of Deputies in voting to grant him
extraordinary powers for the next six months,
Premier Mossadegh has become virtual dictator
with full legal authority to rule by decree on
practically every great issue confronting his
tense and sorely troubled country. This author
ity has not been thrust upon him against his will.
On the contrary, it has been handed over to him
with considerable reluctance and m1Sgiving-and
with a fixed time limit-because he has
vehemently demanded it as something absolutely
essential to-his plans for heading of economic
and political chaos.
Up to now these plans have not been revealed.
DR.. MoSsadegh has referred to them publicly in
only the most generalized terms, and presumably
their real nature will not be known until he
starts issuing DEGREES to put them into effect.
Apparently, however, judging from his vague
comment on them thus far, they will include
measures aimed at increasing taxation, nstituting
governmental and fiscal reforms settling the
Anglo -Iranian oil dispute, and strengthening
internal security against the threat Of subverson.
On the latter point, despite the opposition OF the
Chamber of Deputies, he has made clear that he
wants an extension of martial law-chiefly, 1t
seems, to guard against the possibility Of coup
by the Kremlin- serving Communist Tudeh Party.
Given his dictatorial powers, plus control Of
the army to bulwark internal security, it may be
that DR.. Mossadegh will be able with such
measures to abate and end the 1ranian crisis.
But his past record does not encourage optimism
on that score After all, ironically enough, the
threat of chaos which he is trying to diSsipate
stems primarily from the inStransigence, incom-
petence and lack of realism he has displayed in
the oil controversy with Britain-a controversy
that has dried up the countrys greatest single
source of revenue and come close to causing
complete national bankruptcy. Moreover, in his
latest offer to negotiate with the British, he
has taken position suggesting that his attitude
which cannot be shaped without regard to
the extremists around him-contnues to be
much too uncompromising to augur well for an
equitable, common-sense settlement.
With all that said, however, the fact remains
that DR.. Mossadegh seems to be the only Iranian
leader who has chance at this time to check
the drift toward conditions that could end in q
Communist coup. Although he is an extremist
in Western eyes, he nevertheless occupies kind
of middle ground in his own land between the
outlawed Tudeh Party on the far left and the
unreasoning ultranationalists and terroristic
religious fanatics on the far right. In that
sense he is moderate" and if he falls he will
almost certainly be succeeded by somebody much
worse That somebody" might well be fiery
rightist zealot whose policies probably would turn
Iran upside down. And in that case the native
Reds-even though their present strength pos
sibly has been exaggerated-would be in good
position to make a major effort to seize power
and drag the country behind the Iron Curtain.
In such circumstances it labors the obvious
to say that the United States and Britain should
do everything possible, within reason, to strive
for an understanding with Dr. Mossedegh. True,
even in his dictator's role, he may be weak
reed to lean upon, but this is situation in which
there is little or no choice left to the West.
Accordingly, both as regards the oil dispute and
economic aid, there must be a concerted Anglo
American effort to work with him If he shows
any willingness to cooperate. The stakes
involved are very high.