Several years ago a West Virginia hillbilly we know of came to Indianapolis, got himself a job in the maintenance department of an apartment house, and the first thing he did when he got his initial pay check was to buy himself a guitar.

Apparently he was the only West Virginia hillbilly in the history of the world who couldn’t play the guitar, or at least chord it, but he got himself this guitar anyway, and paid $25 for it, under the impression that the mere possession of a guitar would automatically make him a guitar player.

It was a fine-looking guitar, made of two colors of gleaming wood, with plenty of mother-of-pearl inlay, and it had a fine tone to it, too, but the sounds that emanated from its owner’s quarters were simply terrible. There were moans and wails and fearsome discords, and every so often there would be a loud “Ping!” as a string snapped, until all the strings were busted. The would-be guitar player got himself a new set of strings for the guitar, but nothing happened. Silence prevailed. Not so much as the first note of the first bar of “Over the Waves” was heard.

So finally the owner of the guitar, disillusioned in his expectation of becoming an accomplished guitar player by the simple method of buying himself a guitar, sought out a tenant of the apartment house who was a dilettante in the guitar-playing field and said:

“Looka here! I got me this guitar, and it cost me $25, but I can’t string her, and I can’t tune her, and I can’t play her. I’ll let you have her for $3.”

It was a deal, and the guitar instantly changed hands.

All this was somehow brought back to mind by the present antics of the Iranians in connection with their oil fields. With a deafening hullabaloo they threw out all the foreign oil experts, tore down all the signs in the offices, took over the oil fields from the derricks to the last box of paper clips, and sat down to await the millennium. Pretty soon they were up to their ears in oil and trouble.

They’re in undisputed possession of their oil industry, but, like the former guitar owner, they can’t string and they can’t tune her, and they can’t play her.—M.E.B.

[AIOC refused to train Iranian employees, in violation of the agreement. They also forbade British staff from working for the National Iranian Oil Company for the same salary and benefits.]

To the Editor of The Star:

To apply Lincoln’s words to the international situation the motto would read “Let the people know the facts and the [world] will be saved.”

Adhering to this saying, I certainly find no correct comparison between your West Virginian “guitar player” and the Iranians, as presented in your “As The Day Begins,” in the Monday, July 2, issue.

It is not true that Iranians “threw out all the foreign oil experts.” In the first place British technicians are still in Iran. Secondly, at present Iran needs the services of foreign technicians and does not intend to throw them out. Even if British technicians refuse to stay, Iran intends to bring in technicians from Western countries.

Referring to the guitar parable, Iran is not playing it at present. She is buying the guitar and hiring experts to play it for her and to teach her how. Thus Iran has only to pay for their service and will not be charged for guitar ownership.

JAVAD VAFA.
Indiana University, Bloomington.