DANGER OVER PERSIA

Dominion, Volume 39, Issue 53, 26 November 1945, Page 7

DANGER OVER PERSIA

Turkish Paper’s View (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Received November 25, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 25. The Turkish newspaper “cum Huriyet,” commenting on the Persian situation, said: “If Britain and America maintain a tolerant policy toward Russia similar to the policy adopted before the war toward the Axis, they will be preparing the way for the Third World War.” Left-wing elements in Tabriz, the chief town of the Azerbaijan Province of Persia, are reported to have founded a. “National Congress,” says Reuters' Teheran correspondent. They are demanding autonomy, and plan to hold regional council elections. The gravity of events in Persia, underlined by .Mr. Eden in the House of Commons, has caused some concern and misgiving here and is regarded as still one more action by Russia which is not calculated to do anything to check the drift of relationship between the Big Powers, says the Press Association s special correspondent in London, The “Manchester Guardi in” says- in a leading article: “There semis to be no explanation for the Russian act in interfering with the movement of the Persian Government's troops anil, police exCi.mt a desire to assert a close 'sphere of influence' within which a political movement of their own sponsoring will achieve full control. This action may have had parallels on Russia's European borders, but it is an unfortunate example to set just now, when, hrough Molotov, Russia makes such protestations of her wish for co-operation and peace. Russian Press Continent.

“The Russian Press, too, is permitted to use the occasion as one for general abuse. The events iu Persia, protests 'lzvestia,’ are ‘genuinely democratic,’ and if there is British eriticis n of them it is to detract attention from the ‘vast disturbances’ in Palestine and Egypt, for which (lie British are ‘directly responsible,’ and the troubles' iu Indonesia, where ‘tile national uprising against colonial oppression and iuj isti.ee has assumed vast proportions.’ This hardly shows a friendly spirit.” The “Spectator” says that it appears to. be impossible to reeonc le the Soviet Union's latest action in Persia with its solemn undertaking to recognize and maintain the independenci, ■ sovereignty and territorial integrity <f that country. "Such an outbreak as lias occurred has long been expected,'’ :t says, “and there have been many .suspicions that its instigators have been protected and encouraged by tile Soviet occupation authorities in North Persia. Indeed, such encouragement, is openly gi'cu in 'lzvestia's' account of Lite revo.t, which describes the insurgents as a body of oppressed ami suffering peasa its struggling against the tyranny of reactionary laudowners.

“This account varies considerably from other descriptions of the Tudeh movement as an attempt by an adventurous minority to establish a political dictatorship under the protection of the Soviet as an occupying Power.

“The Soviet intervention s tantamount to a declaration that the Persian Government has no right to mail tain its own sovereignty within its own frontiers; whatever the rights and wrongs to the Tudeh movement, they certainly give no excuse for such flagrant It terference in the affairs of an indepemb'it Stale. "The action of the Soviet Union is the more alarming because of the doubts and suspicions it. arouses ii Turkey and Iraq, both of which have Kurdish minorities to whom the Soviet Union may care to extend its protection." A message from Teheran says the War Ministry has ordered a battalion of infantry and an artillery battery from Ispahan to reinforce lhe garrison of Teheran, where disturbances are expected. Several gendarmerie groups from the provinces have also arrived, though so far there are no sigils •>!' unrest.