Now that Premier Mossadegh has invited an American oil expert to come to Persia and try to work out the oil problem there we may take another breath and hope for the best. For it is essential that the Iran situation be settled. Russia stands at the northern door, as silent, and as greedy, as a cat watching a mouse. We don’t want another Korea in the world; and we could not remain aloof if Russia tried to take over the country and carry its communistic doctrines—and its cruelty—to the Persian Gulf.

We don’t know much about W. Alton Jones of Cities Service. But we do know he has done a good job with his company and knows something about the development of oil wells and oil distribution. We are sure anything which holds in it the possibility of settlement in that unfortunate country should have sympathy here. We are more or less mixed up with the Iranian problem. We are still more thoroughly mixed up with the world situation. Iran is a danger spot. If Jones can do anything to relieve the tension he will become more than an American oil promoter. He will become a world leader.