SOVIET BREACH WITH PERSIA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28820, 14 February 1959, Page 13

SOVIET BREACH WITH PERSIA

Shah Retains Ties With West

(N.2. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, February 13. Russia last night unleashed a blistering campaign against the Shah of Persia for his refusal to break off his alliance with the West, British newspapers reported today.

The attack came in a Soviet Government statement when foreign correspondents were called to the Kremlin after the collapse of secret negotiations between the Shah’s Government and a Russian delegation.

Russia said the Shah’s Government asked ’ for the talks in strict confidence, but broke them off under United States pressure.

The foreign correspondents were handed copies of a statement made to Persia by Russia’s delegation before they returned home empty-handed from Teheran. The statement accused Persia of pursuing a “double-dealing” policy which could not fail to have “grave consequences” for her.

Persia was preparing to conclude a military agreement with America, the statement said, and had joined the ranks of the enemies of the Soviet Uriion. Her actions constituted a “radical change” in relations.

The American Associated Press reported that President Eisenhower intervened personally in an apparently successful effort* to support the Shah.

Informed authorities said the President and other Bagdad Pact allies sent messages to the Shah. As a result of this, and other Western support for the Shah’s own determination to avoid yielding to Soviet demands, the Soviet team in Teheran had broken off negotiations. The Eisenhower message was sent last Friday at an apparently critical point in the negotiations. The talks in Teheran lasted a week, said the “Daily Mail.” Then the Persians politely showed their Communist guests the door because: Persian insisted on remaining inside the Bagdad Pact as the ally of Britain, the United States, Turkey, Pakistan and (technically) Iraq. Russia tried to coax Persia out of the alliance, though this was muffled up in the wordy outburst from Moscow. Moscow Radio blamed Persian “procrastination” for the breakdown of the secret talks. “During the talks,” the radio said, “the Persian delegation adopted an attitude of procrastination and withdrew its own draft treaty of non-aggression and cooperation with the U.S.S.R. Consequently the talks have broken down.”

A • Persian Foreign Ministry spokesman, announcing the breakdown of the talks earlier today, said Persia’s proposals had .lot been accepted by Russia and Persia, in turn, could not accept Russia’s views.