Early Fall

Last week the strategic, oil-rich realm of the Shah of Shahs, 29-year-old Mohamed Reza Pahlevi, had no government. The cabinet of deaf* old Ibrahim Hakimi had fallen two weeks before. Abdul Hussein Hajir (who has one glass eye) was named to succeed him. But last week a Teheran mob kept the Majlis from meeting to approve Hajir's cabinet. Said one English-speaking Persian politician: "There's an old proverb that 'a year can be judged by its spring.' Well, it looks as though there's going to be an early fall."

Blood in the Streets. The immediate cause of Hajir's difficulties was the implacable opposition of top-ranking Mullah Kashani, who calls himself "pontiff and religious head of Moslems in the Middle East." As the highest Persian religious leader he was a power to be reckoned with. Kashani has hated the British ever since they sentenced him to death for resisting their move into Iraq after World War I. Now Anglophobe Kashani denounced Hajir as a "British spy." "Blood will run in the streets before we accept this man," said Kashani.

Last week blood did run. A mob of 3,000, whipped on by Kashani and other mullahs, gathered outside the Majlis building. There they tangled with police and soldiers. Some demonstrators acted on a Persian belief that the barefooted are the fleetest; they shed their slippers and scampered for safety, a slipper tucked under each arm. Among the demonstrators and troops, one was killed, 70 wounded. The Majlis meeting was canceled.

The one man who might be able to form a government stayed in the background. Ahmed Gavam had stepped down from the premiership six months ago under attack from the Russians (for the Majlis' failure to give them oil rights) and from fellow Persians (on charges of graft). He decided to take a rest, flew to Paris. Without the 70 to 80 votes which he controlled in the Majlis, neither Hajir nor anyone else could govern.

When Gavam got back to Teheran last May, the Queen Mother sent him a large bouquet of roses. Commented one Teheran paper: "In some countries to send red roses means love, yellow roses are for jealousy, white roses are for death . . . Judging by the mixture the Queen Mother sent Gavam, the situation is confused."

Maneuvers on the Border. Last week the confusion might have pleased Gavam, for it might persuade the Shah that only Gavam could form a stable government. And the confusion was certainly pleasing to Russia; Persia's series of helpless, do-nothing governments permitted Russia to pose as the hope of Persia's wretched twelve million. When they occupied Azerbaijan during and after World War II, the Russians made a fine show of constructiveness. Their puppet government paved some streets in Tabriz, opened a radio station, started land reforms.

While they wooed Persian peasants with promises of reforms, the Russians also needled the Persian government in a war of nerves. Red army divisions held maneuvers this spring on the Azerbaijan border.

Young Mohamed Reza Shah felt helpless to do much himself. He has not yet won two political reforms he wants: a Senate (provided for in the constitution but never yet created) to check the Majlis; power to dismiss the Majlis and order new elections. Complained the Shah recently: "Here I am--the Shah of Persia--and I have less power than any man on earth. I'd like to have just half the power of the King of Sweden."

*At a recent garden party given by Russian Ambassador Ivan Sadchikov, someone asked Hakimi what he thought would be the nature of the next Persian government. Hakimi thought he was being asked what kind of shoes he was wearing. "American," replied Hakimi to the amazement of his hosts, "yes, American."

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