Being an Iranian who lived in Iran during Averell Harriman’s visit to my country in 1951, I was worried to see that he has decided to make another visit this year. Maybe Americans do not clearly perceive what Mr. Harriman’s past visit meant to Iran, but the Persians know no such uncertainty.

The Mossadegh government had just nationalized Iranian oil, when Mr. Harriman, together with Mr. Stokes from Britain, came to Iran to settle the property agreements which, as far as the Persians were concerned, were to be between the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. and the Iranian government. [Richard Stokes]

However, Harriman and Stokes proceeded on the premise that they were to settle a commercial dispute, involving the offer to Iran of a larger percentage of profits than she had previously been receiving. They ignored the fact that, for the Iranians, the much more important issue of their national independence was involved; that Persia was finally, after 150 years, trying to free its internal politics from the constant meddling of foreigners, in this instance the British.

In the end, of course, the Big Five split Iranian oil with the British (for all practical purposes), and America became the third power (after Russia and Britain) to wield its influence in internal Iranian politics. With America’s help, the Shah ousted Mossadegh and became absolute ruler of Iran.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. For nearly decade American money poured into Iran, to keep the throne from toppling. Yet, the Shah now finds it urgent to get on good terms with Moscow, at the same time as he (in exactly the same manner as Mossadegh) asks America for money to help in his fight against communism.

However, the Shah does not (contrary to American belief) command anywhere near the popular support that Mossadegh did; in fact, dissatisfaction with his corrupt and dictatorial regime has been the best fertilizer for the growth of communism.

The army, made possible by massive U.S. military aid, has been effectively used to suppress the Iranian liberals, so that whenever a really great uprising will occur in the country, a situation could easily be precipitated where only the Communists, who went underground 12 years ago, would have the party machinery to take over the government.

Now, what advice for the future of Iran can Harriman get from the Shah? Will not the Shah and his small group of politicians be as biased with regard to the present situation, as a group made up solely of Communists would be?

IRAJ DEHGHAN.
Washington.

The aims and plans of the Soviet Union from the time of the Czars until the present day have steadily been to reach the Persian Gulf. I am convinced that if the system of government in Iran changes, the Communists will take over and will probably realize their historic ambition to control the Gulf of Iran.

But as long as the present regime remains stable and in power, and receives the necessary economic and technological assistance from the West, she will move further in the direction of “directed democracy” and discourage foreign intrusions.

When Iran was occupied during the Second World War by Allied Forces (United States, England, and the Soviet Union), although the independence and integtrity of Iran were guaranteed by President Roosevelt, Premier Stalin, and Prime Minister Churchill, the Soviet Union was not willing to pull out her forces from the territory of Iran. [Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill]

Since the time of the Czars, Russia has been seeking access to the Persian Gulf and the material resources of Iran, especially oil. Access to the Persian Gulf has been one of the old wishes of the Russians, but fortunately the democratic nations in the world, especially the United States and England, realized that continuation of the occupation of part of Iran by Russia will lead to the expansion of communism and possession of Iran by Russia.

The political insight of the Shah of Iran, supported by the United States, forced the Russians to leave Iran. I believe that if there has been a time that Iran was unstable, it was the time that Iran was occupied by the Soviet Union. The government and the people of the United States must recognize that the main object of the Soviet Union is to change the monarchy in Iran. They know that if they succeed in doing so, it will be easy to bring any other regime under their influence and consequently into the Communist bloc.

The Americans have to recognize that in countries where the standard of living is low, corruption is more widespread, and people are better prepared for Communist domination. Therefore the free countries should increase their economic help to these countries and to see that this aid is not abused.

From the political point of view, democracy has no real significance in these countries, and a kind of “directed democracy” should exist until the level of education and the standard of living are raised, thereby preparing them to absorb the kind of democracy that exists in the Western world.

F. FARSHAD,
Dean of the Faculty of Sciences,
Tehran University, and the former
Assistant to the Ministry of Education of Iran
Washington.
[Fereydoun Farshad]