Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-28
Iranian MODS Drive Mossadeqh
Out Of Home and Support Shah;
Premier Backed by Rival Crowd
Struggle Is Close;
Ruler Cancels
Plans to Leave
By the Associated Press

TEHERAN, Iran. Feb. o.
Raging mobS bent on keeping
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi
in power drove Prime Minister
Mohammed MosSadegh out of
his home today and forced him
to take refuge in a United States
Point -Four headquarters next
door.
The mobs, apparently support
erS of Ayatullah Seyed Abolghas-
sem Kashani, Trans high Moslem
priest and speaker of Parliament,
drove a jeep through Premier
Mossadegh'S front gates. His
house guards fired and 4 to IL
persons were reported injured.
Later, pro-Mossadegh mobs
appeared on the streets and the
struggle for power between the
aged Prime Minister and the
youthful Shah appeared to be a
touch-and-go affair.
(There were reports abroad
that the 33-year-old Shah
had intended to abdicate, but
Teheran dispatches did not
say so directlyD
The mobS which descended
upon Mr.. Mossadegh's home had
come from the Shah's palace,
where they forced the Shah to
cancel plans for leaving the
country today.
Parliament Summoned.
Parliament was summoned to-
night for a session which could |
be decisive. The struggle be- |
tween Mr.. Mossadegh and the |
Shah may reach its climax there.
Just where Mr.. Mossadegh |
found refuge was uncertain. Aft
er he fed to the Point Four
headquarters next door, report |
ers lost track Of him. His sup
porters surged through the
streets shouting that he had |
won, evidently trying to influ-
ence the Mails.
(The Point Four headquar-
tiers directs American techni-
cal assistance for Iran-pri-
marily the teaching of adj
vanced agricultural methodist
Foreign Minister Hossein Fa-
temi was with Mr.. Mossadegh
in the flight, as the pro-Shah
mobs yelled: Death or our
Shah"
The demonstrators who toured |
the city after the Shah's an
nounced intention of leaving the |
country included retired army
officers who have quarreled with
Mr.. Mossadegh, bazaar mer-
chants who normally support |
Parliament Speaker Kashani,
who recently has had a falling
out with Mr.. MoSsadegh, and
other groups.
Shah Brushes Away Tears.
The crowd cried, Give us the
Shah or death" as they marched
to the Shah's palace. Court Min
lister Hussein Ala appeared on a
balcony. but the crowd would not |
let him speak.
The Shah himself then APP
peared. Obviously touched by
the popular support, he brushed
away tears and explained that |
he had planned a brief trip out |
of the country for the sake of
his health. but that the show of
patriotism had caused him to
change his mind.
The Shah has tried to remain
aloof from politics, in the tradi-
ton of modern constitutional
monarchies, ever since Premier
MosSadegh's nationalist bloc
came into power and brought |
on the issue of oil nationaliza-
ton.
Furious Chain Of Activity.
He announced today he was
leaving the country by way of
1raq at 5 pm. $3.50 am, EST |
without explanation.
But a subsequent announce
ment by the court minister,
which was broadcast, said the
Shah had changed his plans be-
cause of the demands of patri-
otto groups. He had planned to
leave for reasons of health, this
announcement said.
The first announcement of the
Shah's impending departure
started a furious chain of &C
tivity in Teneran. Speaker Ka-
shani, summoned a closed ses-
sion of Parliament. Parliament |
sent a delegation to the Shah
urging him to remain. A council
of ministers was summoned by
Premier Mossadegh and it, too,
urged the monarch to recon-
slider.
Henderson Sees Ruler.
United States Ambassador 10y
Henderson also was soon closeted
with the young ruler.
BazaarS began to close down