Persian Senate Still Waits To Hear Dr. Mussadiq

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26516, 3 September 1951, Page 7

Persian Senate Still Waits To Hear Dr. Mussadiq

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) 1 TEHERAN, September 1. Persian Senators waited vainly to-day for the third time in 10 days for the Prime-Minister (Dr. Mussadiq) to appear at the Senate and explain his oil policy.

Senators had twice before asked the Prime Minister to come to the Senate to explain to them the reasons for the breakdown of the oil negotiations with the British mission, and to outline his future plans. As on two previous occasions no official explanation was given.

Dr. Mussadiq, broadcasting over the Teheran radio tonight, said that Persia's proposals under the oil nationalisation law would in* no circumstances be altered. “The Persian Government, through the American Government’s good offices, declared its readiness to enter into negotiations with the British Government. Unfortunately the British proposals were so unfavourable, and did not keep within the framework of the nationalisation law, that acceptance by the Persian Government was impossible.”

“It now rests with the solidarity of the Persian people to enforce its rights. . , „ , “The Persian Government is firmly determined to force through its demands based on the nationalisation law and will not deviate from this line at any price. ' "The Persian proposals are those already published and they will not be altered in any circumstances.”

Training Staff Leaving Mr Tudor Stephens, general superintendent of the Anglo-lrariian Oil Company’s technical training' department, and seven members of his staff have decided to return to England next Wednesday rather than obey the Persian Oil Board's instruction to reinstate three Persian apprentices who were dismissed after disturbances in March and April. Mr K. B. Ross, general manager of the Abadan refineries, said that the board wrote last week saying that the apprentices had made a written, statement renouncing all Communist leanings. The board demanded that they should be re-employed. “I had no option. Under protest 1 agreed to take the apprentices back,”

he said. “Mr Stephens will not agree to re-employing them and asked to return to England with his staff." Mr Stephens said that the three apprentices were Communist agitators and took a most active part in stirring up trouble. He said that the training department would be left to 60 Persians, but the withdrawal of the British staff would inevitably slow down technical training at a time when the Persians urgently required technicians. Dr. Hussein Fatemi, assistant to Dr. Mussadiq, said to-day that instructions had been sent to the Persian oil authorities at Abadan to accept all applications already made for employment from foreign oil technicians. Dr. Fatemi said that the Persian authorities at Abadan had also been instructed to go ahead with the sale of oil to all who had already made bids. Britain, he said, could not seize oil on the high seas, as he alleged that Britain had planned. He maintained that Britain had surrendered her rights under The Hague Court ruling, since she had subsequently accepted the principle of Persian oil nationalisation. As soon as the task of oil nationalisation was completed the Mussadiq Government would resign, Dr. Fatemi asserted.