WORK STOPS AT ABADAN Big Oil Refinery Closes Down

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26488, 1 August 1951, Page 7

WORK STOPS AT ABADAN

Big Oil Refinery Closes Down

|N,Z ' Prest Atioctation— Copyright) ( R ea 1130 pj”.) TEHERAN, July 31. The Abadan oil refinery, the largest in the world SSetTr ° f *” oqtlCt . be^ 8e n ™ P at b AbSdan b

hniasion to Teheran as soon as oerPersiWovVrnmS?.’ 1 WUh the Mr Morrison said Mr Stokes will •^ st visit Abadan to investigate the Teheran 1 B° ip g on to Mr Morrison, giving the House an Outline of British hopes and objectives m Persia, Egypt, and on oil and defence, said th* Persian Government

had given President Truman’s envoy (Mr Ayerell Harriman) proposals tor reopening negotiations to settle the oil dispute. The British Cabinet had taken advantage of Mr Harriman’s visit to Landon to discuss these. Britain had every sympathy with the natural desire of the Persian people to control the mineral wealth of their own ami and had agreed to accept the principle of nationalisation, said Mr Morrison. Certain points in the Persian proposals transmitted through Mr Harriman remain to be settled, he said, As soon as these have been settled, the mission led by Mr Stokes Wilf leave. i Mr Harriman left London to fly back to Teheran to-night to try to clear up doubtful points in the Persian proposals With the Prime Minister (Dr, Muasadia), so that the British mission ean begin its talks,

„ t "Next Move With Persia” Britain's announcement of the head of the British delegation make* it plain that the Government is determined to seek a friendly settlement, it is felt in London that the next move now rests with Teheran, Mr Churchill, in the Commons debate on thp Middle East, declared that the Abadan refinery must not be evacuated, nor its staff withdrawn. “If violence is offered to them, we must not hesitate to intervene, if necessary by force.” he added. "We have, however, to be prepared that the Persians may decide to cut off their noses to spite their faces, and this dispute will require a great deal of eareful, patient negotiation.”