4 JANUARY 1946, Page 6

'Irsia and the U.S.S.R.

fhe success of the Moscow conference was not spectacular, but was, at the least, encouraging. It was regrettable, however, that progress was made towards finding a solution for the problem 31 Persia. In fact, it was not even possible to place Persia in the agenda of the conference ; and Mr. Bevin's efforts to encourage a tmpromise were restricted to private conversation with M. Stalin. Bevin's compromise was based on the suggestion of ending to Persia a commission representing Great Britain, Russia id the United States, which would draw up proposals for the pro- tection of minority rights, especially in Azerbaijan ; but though the

suggestion is reported to have found favour with M: Stalin, it was finally rejected. The greatest hope now is that the success of the conference will make it possible to take up the subject again ; but it cannot be postponed for long, for the Persian delegates to the United Nations Organisation may raise the problem as a matter of urgency when the Assembly opens on January to. It must be ad- mitted that they will have what appears to be an unanswerable case, and it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Great Britain to refuse its support to their arguments. Russia's answer will no doubt be based on the " undemocratic " nature of the Persian regime ; and she may draw some awkward analogies between her attitude to Persia and the attitude of the Western democracies to Franco Simin: But by now her action in Azerbaijan, which is part of a campaign against the Persian Government, shows signs of having attained its object. There have now been three resignations from the Teheran Cabinet, which is on the verge of collapse, and it seems likely that in the near future the Persian Government will be com- pletely reformed, with a distinct tendency to the Left.