MUSSADIQ AND THE SHAH

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27010, 9 April 1953, Page 9

MUSSADIQ AND THE SHAH

“QUARREL NOW OUT IN OPEN” (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, April 7. “Dr. Mussadiq has brought his quarrel with the Shah of Persia into the open.” says the “Manchester Guardian,” in a leading article, commenting on the broadcast by the Prime Minister of Persia in which he said the Shah should reign but not rule. “The broadcast, going to such lengths against the Shah and the Royal Family at least suggests that Dr. Mussadiq feels himself strong enough to accomplish in April what he failed to do in March.” “He says he does not intend ‘to abolish the monarchy’ but if the Majlis duly censures the Shah and confirms its confidence in Dr. Mussadiq it is hard to see what effective constitutional powers the monarchy will have left. “In spite of Dr. Mussadiq’s diatribe there is no evidence that the Shah has even tried to play an active part in politics, but at some of the wilder turns of Persian policy he does seem to have succeeded in exerting a moderating influence. “It cannot be said to have counted for much so far, but even a partially effective brake is better than no brake at all.

“If Dr. Mussadiq gets his way now. he will remove almost all chance of his own replacement without bloodshed,” says the newspaper. The Majlis (the Lower House of the Persian Parliament) today failed to raise a quorum for a debate on the committee report telling the Shah to keep out of politics. Dr. Mussadiq had asked the House to adopt the report. Dr. Mussadiq’s supporters, the National Front Deputies, stayed away because of Opposition attempts to call a private session to criticise Dr. Mussadiq’s broadcast yesterday in which he said the Shah should reign, not rule.