The ancient land of Iran continues to be a danger spot. Mohammed Mossadegh, the fainting premier has been voted full dictatorial powers, the horizon is clouded, the storm signals flying.

Dr. Franklin S. Harris, who returned to Salt Lake City this week after two weeks in the Middle East, regards Iran as the most critical area—and he should know. Dr. Harris, former president of both the Utah State Agricultural College and Brigham Young University, went to Iran as a representative of the American State Department. For a time he was director of the joint rural improvement committee and later was adviser to the American ambassador. Earlier in 1940 he had served on an agricultural mission.

Dr. Harris reports that American aid in Iran has brought improvements in health, agriculture and education but that the program has been the target of the Tudeh party, the Communist front organization. The real contest, he points out, is with the Communists. And it is in that contest that Mossadegh’s actions hamper the U.S. [Harris gave a talk on Iran in Salt Lake City on Aug. 3, 1952]

Last month Mossadegh resigned because the Shah would not give him control of the army. Riots immediately broke out in Tehran. Mossadegh’s successor, Ahmed Qavam had to flee for his life and the Shah was compelled to call Mossadegh back on his own terms. [Ahmad Ghavam] Now Mossadegh holds dictatorial powers and the Shah has become a puppet. [30 Tir uprising]

A controlled mob seems to be running Iran. The question is: who is controlling the mob? And the answer seems to be: the National Front, also a fanatical organization which backs Mossadegh and which assassinated his predecessor. [Premier Ali Razmara was killed by gunman Khalil Tahmassebi of the extremist Feda’ian Islam.] At the same time the Communists are happy to aid in fomenting violence, since they are skilled in constructing dictatorship out of chaos.

Mossadegh is a national hero because he threw out the British-owned oil company, even though expropriation failed to bring the promised benefits. The West—that is the U.S. and Britain—looked upon the Shah as a friend. Now Mossadegh has taken away the Shah’s power. This fault is a damaging blow to the West.

Great Britain failed miserably in handling the oil dispute. The American role is not so clear but it is probable in this instance that our diplomats followed the lead of the British who were considered experts on the Middle East. However, it is apparent that our benevolent activities in Iran have not brought us friendship. The millions spent on the Point Four program have produced remarkable results but there are shouts in Parliament for the U.S. military mission to go home and street rioters denounce everything American. These shouts and denunciations may be the work of a small minority, but they are effective in a country where everything foreign is distrusted.

What will happen next in Iran is impossible to predict. Mossadegh may go his own mysterious way for awhile but the mobs may not stay under control forever. It is a situation in which the worst can be expected. The danger of chaos in Iran grows, the West is losing all ties with the country and the Russians are on the northern border.