Evening star., 1953-08-17
Shah FIees Iran
AsMossadegh
Custer Fails
Old Premier Crushes
Monorch's BIoodIess
Coup to Unseot Him
BY the Associated Press

TEHERAN, Iran, Aug. IT,
Aged Premier Mohammed Moss
adegh held supreme power in
Iran today after crushing a
bloodless attempt to unseat him
by supporters of Shah Moham-
med Reza Pahlevi.
The young ruler and his beau
tiful Queen Soraya fled to neigh
boring Iraq and Communist
mobs screamed for an end to the
monarchy.
Acting swiftly in the wake of
the attempt against him early
yesterday, Mr.. MoSsadegh jailed
top leaders of his opposition and
dissolved the remnant of the
parliament. Though the "a
year-old monarch had not alb
dicated, the government was be-
lieved readying a regency coun-
Gil to take over his powers.
The leader of the coup attempt,
Maj, Gen. Fazellah Zahedi, hid
in the hills. In a statement to
newsmen he claimed the Shah
had given him an imperial de-
cree ousting Mr.. MoSSadegh and
proclaiming Gen. Zahedi prem
ier.
Rebel Leader Hunted.
Police and troops, armed with
rifles and stem guns, started
determined hunt for the rebel
leader. Teheran radio broadcast
orders from Mr.. Mossadegh to
customs and frontier forces to
prevent Gen. Zahedi's escape
abroad at any cost.
Tension 1esSened in Teheran
today as truckloadS of armed
troops and Sherman tanks called
out by Mr.. Mossadegh rumbled
back to their barracks and bases.
Yesterday the city had bristled
with troops protecting the gov
ernment against their titular
commander in chief, the Shah.
Along the capitals main streets
today ShopownerS cleared away
broken glass left by anti-Shah
demonstrators who stoned the
monarch's portraits in shop
windows last night.
The city's Churchill avenue
was without the last of it's street
signs. The rest were torn down
in previous anti-British riots.
The last one was ripped down
last night by the demonstrators
as a tip-of to their defiance of
their pro-Western ruler.
Foreign Minister Held.
The mob of Communists and
Mossadegh supporters - more
than 100000 stronghold packed
the capitals main parliament
square last night, bowling for
the rulers blood. Banners de-
manded death to the Shah"
and "end the dynasty"
The meeting bawled assent to
demand for a regency by For
eign Minister HoSSein Fatemi,
who was seized by the coup-at-
tempting imperial guards and
held for six and a half hours in
palace strongroom. Mr.. Fatemi
in a newspaper blast called the
Shah snake" who had robbed
the property and chastity of the
people"
There was no immediate state
ment from the Shah in Bagh-
dad He and his queen flew in
his private plane from a Caspian
Sea resort in North Iran where
they had been vacationing. They
arrived in the Iraq capital un-
heralded and went into secluSion
in a government guest house.
The rulers flight to Iraq drew
new government blasts at Brit
ain, a favorite whipping boy for
Mr.. MoSsadegh and his follow
ers. Mr.. Fatemi told the mob
the Shah, "a traitor ran
away to the nearest British en-
basSy" This referred to Iraq's
friendship pactS with Britain.
Americans Told to Stay In.
After the meeting ended, the
crowd broke into smaller groups
which roamed the streets ston-
ing the Shah's photos. There
was no other violence reported,
however, and the coup attempt
(See IRAN, Page A-2)