OFFER TO RESIGN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21922, 17 January 1946, Page 5

OFFER TO RESIGN

PERSIANJLEADER FAILURE _OF TALKS TEHERAN AND MOSCOW LONDON, Jan. 15. “I am ready to resign the moment you wish,” declared the Prime Minister, Dr. Hakami, in a speech to the Persian Parliament to-day. He revealed that fruitless direct conversations had occurred between Teheran and Moscow before Persia asked for its case to be considered by the United Nations. Dr. Hakami added that the Government had unhesitatingly rejected a suggestion that Britain and America should propose a tripartite commission. ‘‘Then they asked if we would be willing to allow British, American and Russian representatives to visit Persia,” said Dr. Hakami. ‘‘We answered that we were ready to accept provided the commission came to Persia to see the provisions of the tripartite treaty were carried out and evacuated the Allied forces before March.”

He added that the Government had expressed its willingness to allow a three-Power commission to supervise the municipal and provincial elections, but the three Powers had not answered .the proposal. “Most Anxious Time” The Persian Ambassador in London, Seyed Hassa Taquinadeh, said he could hardly refrain from referring in the United' Nations’ Assembly to the very disturbing situation prevailing in Persia. “As you are aware, Persia is at present confronted with certain great difficulties of an international character and is passing _ through a most anxious time,” he said. The situation is indeed of the nature provided for in article 14 of the Charter and coulo certainly be brought before this Assembly to deal with as a ‘situation’ likely to impair friendly relations among nations.” The Ambassador said that Persia had refrained from requesting the inclusion of its case in the Assembly’s agenda beford January 5, hoping then that all ways and means of reaching a satisfactory settlement were not exhausted. “We wished to save this great Assembly, with its many tasks, the trouble of being confronted at the very beginning with an international problem. I nevertheless feel it is my duty to bring to the attention of the Assembly the fact that we reserve our right to bring the question before it in the event of no early solution being reached.

Explicit Test Case

“If the Persian problem comes before you, it will undoubtedly constitute a test case of the clearest and most explicit kind for the organisation to manifest its fair spirit in dealing with and protecting the vital rights of its members—this being a matter of principle and a fundamental issue for small nations, who put their trust in this body, which is the centre of humanity’s hope for the future as well as in the councils elected by it.” He added that nations such as Persia were encouraged by UNO at San Francisco to place their full trust in the friendly intentions and goodwill of the permanent members of the Security Council. Persia, for its loyal services to the United Nations, sought no reward and only expected as a matter of insuperable right and in the name of international justice on which the Charter was. founded, that the principles embodied in it should be respected strictly and in good faith.