FOR WRITING that “terrorism” existed in Teheran, New York Times Correspondent Michael Clark last week was ordered out of Iran within 48 hours.

The edict was issued by an assistant to Premier Mohammed Mossadegh. Clark was accused of writing lies and insults about the Iranian Government.

Later that same day, 5,000 alerted policemen and soldiers beat down a Communist-led riot with swinging clubs and thrusting bayonets. Still later, when the Red bands of rioters had been dispersed, large groups of anti-Communists went on a rampage of their own. They roamed through the capital city, smashing at least 10 newspaper offices and some properties of non-Communist political factions opposed to Dr. Mossadegh’s Government.

This day of terror—one could not reasonably call it less—emphasized the expulsion of the newspaperman who wrote what he saw and heard of previous incidents in which blood was spilled.

The expulsion of Clark leaves only one American correspondent in Iran. The New York Times man is the third foreign correspondent to be ousted from Iran since the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. was nationalized. Previously, two British writers were expelled.

It is curious that this order should come from Mossadegh shortly after he completed a trip to the United States seeking a loan to tide Iran over the lean days ahead. In the U.S. he exerted every effort to extract sympathy from our officials. He vowed that Iran with the help of its “good friend,” the United States, could survive its economic and political crisis if only the U.S. would help.

Dr. Mossadegh’s Government as yet has failed to pull Iran out of its oil and financial difficulties, and he is undergoing severe criticism from a part of his own people. This portion is Communist-led and the U.S. naturally would like to see Mossadegh’s faction resist that pressure. But Mossadegh seems insistent upon antagonizing other nations that could help him in his dilemma. [Interesting acknowledgment of his Communist opposition]