THE TABLET, August 22nd, 1953 VOL. 202, No. 5909

Published as a Newspaper

THE TABLET

A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER & REVIEW

Pro Ecclesia Dei, Pro Regina et Patria

F O U N D E D IN 1840

A U G U S T 2 2 n d , 1953

N IN E P E N C E

Marshal Zhukov^ Return: The Political Role o f the Red Army. By Franz Borkenau

The Notion o f “ Neutralism” : Yugoslavia, Germany and India. By F. A. Voigt

The Conservative M.ind: An Historical Study. By Christopher Hollis, M.P.

Less Joint Consultation : II : The Study o f Works Communications

The Faith in Norway: Impressions o f the Trondheim Congress. By Freda Bruce Lockhart

Tragedy at Stratford: A High Standard at the Memorial Theatre. By Robert Speaight

Clare and the Friars: The Faith in Suffolk. By E. T. Long

Balthasar Neumann : 1753-19 53 : Universal Genius. By Cuthbert Smith

Book Reviews: By Ann Bridge, H. P. R. Finberg, J. J. Dwyer, Elizabeth Sewell,

Edward Sarmiento, H. W. J. Edwards and Caryll Houselander. Correspondence from John T. Hardman, Henry J. Clark, W. E. Crealock, Paul Henderson,

Edmund Esdaile, I. M. Birtwistle, R. B. Ramsbotham, T. de Marffy-Mantuano and K. Keith Kirk.

THE FALL OF MOSSADEQ D R. MOSSADEQ was very precise about the figures o f the voting by which the Persian population agreed that he was perfectly right to dissolve th e Majlis : only three people in Tabriz objected, where 41,502 agreed ; in Isfahan, on the other hand, there were eleven dissentients, compared to 43,508 in favour. Now, suddenly, by a grim and military expression o f the people’s will, he has been violently ejected ; his Foreign Minister, it is reported, has been literally to rn to pieces ; whatever may happen now, these events will have in the Middle East an effect comparable to th a t in Eastern Europe o f the risings in Berlin and the Soviet Zone o f Germany in June. F o r Dr. Mossadeq had become more and more committed to the Communists, more and more an instrum ent o f Soviet policy, like such German figures as H e rr Grotewohl and H err Ulbricht.

ruin to his country because material things m a tte r less in the East. But if General Zahedi prevails, a fallacy will have been exposed, to the great benefit o f a great many people. When it comes to a fondness for Western criteria, the boot has too long been on the other foot.

We go to Press as the news from Teheran is still very confused. I t is too soon to say whether D r. Mossadeq may no t even now recover his position. There are some parts of Persia where his followers are still in control. But there can be little doubt th a t the intervention o f the Army has been made with the b road support o f a population exasperated by what they have been asked in the name o f national sentiment to endure. We do no t accept the ready parallel between General Zahedi and General Neguib. Both are soldiers opposing corruption, bu t the la tte r ejected a King in the name o f national sentiment, and the former has supported a King in revolt against a tyranny th a t sought cover beneath the name o f nationalism . I f this judgm ent is correct, and if General Zahedi is able to consolidate his position, it will be the first major calling o f an enormous bluff, to which many peoples in many parts o f the world have been subjected in these recent years. “ One must beware,” rem arked the Manchester Guardian on Tuesday, “ o f trying to judge events in Persia by the normal criteria o f the West” ; and it went on to explain th a t D r. Mossadeq could survive even though he brought

It is remarkable how even an Oriental seeker after absolute power will strive to clothe his activities in a garment of liberal respectability, even in a country in which religious and political authority are no t uncommonly combined, so th a t there might seem to be less need for the sanctions of popular democracy. We are accustomed to hear the Communists in Eastern Europe expressing anger a t interference in the internal affairs o f a sovereign State, o r pleasure a t receiving a satisfactory measure o f support a t election-time. Last week-end we had the spectacle o f a D r. Mossadeq who believed himself to be secure, and who, whatever else he was, was no believer in parliam ents, but who was oddly reluctant to say so w ithout being able to point to the result o f a referendum to show th a t he did no more th an reflect the people’s will. Congratulating himself that he had succeeded in banishing the Shah, he contrived to give the world the impression that supporters o f the Shah had attem pted a coup d 'é ta t and had failed, when what had really happened was th a t Dr. Mossadeq had attem pted a coup d 'é ta t and, for a few days a t any rate, had succeeded.

The Shah had constitutionally dismissed D r. Mossadeq and had asked General Zahedi to form a Government, Wnd the rebel was D r. Mossadeq. He represented himself as the champion o f legality successfully resisting rebellion. So also have many tyrants represented themselves in recent history, but the world is by now less easily deceived. The news th a t came on Wednesday was received with general relief, and the hope th a t General Zahedi may now be able to control the situation and restore some sort o f order.