YET TO PROVE HIS WORTH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 288, 17 September 1941, Page 5

YET TO PROVE HIS WORTH.

LONDON VIEW OF NEW SHAH. AWAKENING SPIRIT OF PEOPLE, (Rec. 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16. The tactics pursued by the Germans in Teheran since the Persian Government agreed to hand over German nationals and to close the Legations ol Germany and the other Axis countries under German control havo shown au intention to delay and hamper in every possible way the implementation of tiie British and Soviet demand. lor some days it has been clear that in the absence of a display of firmness these tactics would be continued and the decision to end this state of affairs by despatch to the Persian capital of aucquate ’military forces will occasion no surprise. Ntews reached London ‘"is afternoon that Russian troops from the uenar and British troops from the' south are now almost at the gates of Teheran and speedy clearing up of the unsatisfactory situation can now be expected. The nomination of the Crown Prince as Shah is regarded here as a natural one for the retiring Shah to make, but just as by his abdication the late Shah bowed to'the popular will of his people it is the people of Persia who must approve this succession. The new Shah is a .young man who has yet to prove his worth. Ho was born in 1919 and it cannot yet be said that lie gained that respect and goodwill of vne Persian people that is essential in a monarch whose subjects are showing a growing determination to effect important constitutional reform,- without which that alleviation of the social welfare of the people, so ardently desired by the advanced elements, cannot be achieved. , . . On the other hand it is beneved in London that the new Shall is close in association with the former regime and encouragement he has given to some of its more criticising policies may be found unsatisfactory to the newly-awak-ened spirit of the Persian people. So far as the British Government is concerned, its main desire is to see installed on the Persian throne one who has the support of his people, who is prepared to work as a constitutional monarch, who is ready to put an end to abuses from which Persia and the Persian people have suffered, and who will refrain from hammering the larger causes of the Allied Governments. As viewed here the whole situation m Iran appears to be moving in the direction of the establishment of a constitutional regime which bring Persia into the scheme of collaboration with the Allied war effort. All developments in connection with the handing over of German nationals and closing the Legations have been closely watched in London where the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Eden) has had the utmost-co-operation from the Soviet Ambassador (M. Maisky) and the decisions reached for the advance of troops to Teheran was taken some days ago. With the willing assistance of the Persian Government there should bo no further delay or equivocation.—British Official Wireless. — I