INDIANAPOLIS — Iran’s legitimate complaint against British exploitation of oil resources may result in shipping the oil to Russia, according to Dr. Davoud Kazemi, brother of the Iranian foreign minister, Bagher Kazemi.

Dr. Kazemi, a visitor in Indianapolis, predicted today that the disputed oil from his country will go to the highest bidder, adding:

“What would you do if Russia offered two percent more for the oil than other bidders? I doubt if Iran could afford to turn it down.” [Iran repeatedly stated that former customers would be the priority]

Lists Complaints

Dr. Kazemi listed among Iran’s complaints against Britain the following:

The British have been in Iran for 300 years and have treated Iran as one of their colonies “and not a very nice one at that.”

The Anglo-Iranian oil company pays Iran only 23 per cent of its oil profits while in Iraq the Americans have been splitting 50-50. [The original Concession terms were 16% to Iran, but the 1933 Agreement then in effect was supposed to be 20%.]

Keep Labor Costs Down

The British have used high-pressure tactics to keep labor costs down, paying only $1.50 to workers for an eight-hour day.

In the company oil towns, the English have practiced segregation.

When the Iranian government proposed large scale irrigation in oil company areas which are rich farmland, the British stopped attempts to pipe water from rivers nearby by political maneuvers.

No Trained Technicians

The British have failed to their agreement train keep Iranians for technical positions.

As a result, the plants will be closed until technicians can be obtained from a “neutral country.”

Dr. Kazemi added, however, that Iran would “prefer not” to hire Russian oil technicians. [Iran asked the British workers to stay.]

Dr. Kazemi said:

“The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is not wholly British owned. They have given that impression. Half of it is owned by the Iranian government. But because of the technical know-how of the British and the economic stranglehold they had on the nation, they took it over completely.” [AIOC was a private company with the British govt. as majority shareholder. Iran had no shares.]

Iran hopes to pay off the heavy British investment in the oil fields and the world’s largest oil refineries, according to Dr. Kazemi but he added:

“British technicians are welcome to stay and work for the Iranian government, but nationalization of the industry will stick. The man in the street is for it because of the improved standard of living it can give him.”