PERSIA'S COMPLAINTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21978, 23 March 1946, Page 5

PERSIA'S COMPLAINTS

BRITAIN & U.S. DEMAND HEARING

OPPOSITION TO POSTPONEMENT

PERSIAN ENVOY FEARS EFFECTS OF DELAY

»' (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.)' . (10 a.m.) NEW YORK, March 22. The British Government has instructed Sir Alexander Cadogan, permanent representative on the Security Council, that, in Britain’s view, there is no case for postponing discussion of the Persian issue when the Security Council meets in New York on Monday, say diplomatic correspondents of news agencies. * The New York Times’ correspondent, Mr. James Reston, says that representatives of the leading States on the Security Council held a series of private meetings in New York and reached a ■ general agreement on the following points: First, the council will meet as scheduled on Monday; secondly, Britain and America will insist on hearing at least a report on the Persian case before agreeing to postpone a full discussion of the case. They want to know what it is they are being asked to postpone; thirdly, it is unlikely the Council will agree to drop the Persian case after ; the preliminary hearing, but if it does so Russia will be asked to guarantee the present status quo in Persia for the duration of negotiations and satisfy the council that the negotiations are freely entered into by Persia.

A letter handed to the press by the Persian Ambassador, Hussein Ala, pointed out that the London conference postponed the decision on the merits of the earlier dispute pending negotiltions between Russia and Persia. “These negotiations have failed," he added. “Meanwhile the date fixed by the tripartite treaty has passed and Soviet tr'. ps have not withdrawn. The delays thus far have permitted an intensification of the critical conditions in my country caused by the failure of the Soviet to withdraw her troops. The state of affairs is very grave. Further delays would inevitably result in an increase in harm to the interests of Persia.”

pondent. The Cabinet was summoned immediately for a special meeting. The former Persian Prime Minister, Sayyed Zio ed-Din Tabatabi, has been taken into protective custody. He was taken to the Foreign Office for questioning. The Under-Secretary of State, Prince Firouz, said M. Tabatabi had been put under preventive detention pending the investigation of certain charges. The arrest was ordered by M. Qavam es-Sultaneh. M. Tababati told correspondents that he had not been told why . he was arrested, and added: “I think they arrested me because I am not liked by the Russians.” M. Tababati. who is variously described as anti-Russian, pro-British or intense nationalistic, was exiled from Persia for 20 years. He returned in 1944 as leader of the National Will Party. No Postponement

i* Strong Opposition to Delay The Persian Ambassador told journalists that the latest Persian communication expressed strong opposition to delaying the Council meeting, and reiterated the belief that the dispute is “most Urgent,” meriting prompt consideration. The Associated Press says the Persian move is regarded as laying a firm basis for the United States and other members to insist on the hearing proceeding to schedule. The assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Benjamin I Cohen, said that Persia had sent a letter to the Secretary-General, M. Lie, replying to Russia’s request for a postponement of the Security Council meeting. He said the contents of the letter could not be made public before to-morrow because it was at present \lbeing circulated among members of the •Council. / Mr. Cohen declared that the Council (would meet on Monday. The first item for consideration would be the provisional agenda. This included three ‘items, the report of the rule committee, the report of the committee on procedure, and the Persian demand. |i Infiltration Feared In a review of Persia’s decision to appeal to the Security Council against the retention of Soviet troops in the country, the Times diplomatic correspondent says .that some Persian lead•ers. when they count the risks around them, do not expect a sudden coup so much as a continued policy of infiltration undermining pressure from without and from the Soviet leaders of the Tudeh party. An article from the Moscow paper Izvestia, which was recently broadcast, was, in effect, a call for the rest of Persia to move nearer to the Aberbaijan model and for the establishment of a "friendly Government,” a demand for oil concessions in North Pefsia runs through all Soviet comment! It is one of the conditions put before the Persian Prime Minister in Moscow. He pointed out that concession* would be granted only by Parliament which could not be elected as long as foreign troops remained in Persia.

President Truman declared that the meeting of the United Nations’ Security Council scheduled for Monday will not be postponed. He said the United States will press for action on the Persian case.

A reporter asked what would happen if Russia insists on the postponement. President Truman replied that the questioner had better attend the meeting and find out. Asked whether he favoured another Big Three meeting, President Truman said "No,” because the United Nations was supposed to deal with matters which were formerly discussed by the Big Three. The Soviet Ambassador, M. Gromyko, unexpectedly conferred with the Secretary of State, Mr. James Byrnes, but later declined to reveal the subject he discussed. He reiterated, however, that Russia believed the Persian case should be delayed because negotiations were under way between Persia and Russia through diplomatic channels, and if the Security Council took any hasty action now it would merely complicate the situation. Soviet Rights Proclaimed Russia moved her forces into Persia in accordance with the provisions of Article 6of the 1941 treaty giving Russia the right to do so as a measure of defence should Persia be turned into a war base for a military attack against Russia, says the Moscow paper Invests. It adds: “The Soviet forces moved into Persia in August 1941 some months before the conclusion of the RussianFersian treaty. Britain also moved her army into Persia but formally established the right to their presence there only later when the tripartite treaty was signed.

“Russian forces must be ready to guard the Soviet State,’’ says the Communist Party journal, Party Construction. Russia was surrounded by a system of countries and reactionary forces which, in their .desire to redivide the world, might reproduce an armed clash.

“Our armed forces must be constantly able to cope with the tasks confronting them,” adds the paper. "We cannot forget that the armies of other countries are not stopping their developments.” Mesage from Stalin The new Russian Ambassador .to Persia. M. Ivan Sadchikov, saw the Persian Prime Minister for an hour and is reported to have presented a message from Generalissimo Stalin, says the Daily Telegraph’s Teheran corres-