NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE feeling of optimism which at the time of writing—after Wednesday's meeting of the Security Council, at which the Russian and Persian replies to the Secretary-General's questions were received—pervades United Nations' circles in New York must be judged in its relation to the gravity of the views which the situation had till then inspired. It is true that the very conciliatory attitude of the Persian Government appears to provide the Security Council with a way out of the impasse, and it is no doubt satisfactory that any way out should be found. But it must be observed that Russia's undertaking to complete- the evacuation of her troops from Persia within six weeks from March 24th is far less formal than the binding engagement she undertook—and wantonly violated—to remove them all by March 2nd. It is possible for the Security Council to tolerate the compromise to which the Persian reply and the Persian delegate's oral statement pointed. That assumes that Russia will this time carry out her pledge ; that then, the country being cleared of foreign troops, a general election can take place in Persia ; and that the new Government, based on the new Parliament, will consider the questions of a Russian oil concession and the future of Azerbaijan. The oil concession is a perfectly reasonable subject of negotiation ; the future of Azerbaijan is a perfectly reasonable subject for consideration— though it is a purely Persian affair, and no decisions ought to be reached under Russian pressure. The whole task of the Security Council, indeed, is to satisfy itself, so long as the Persian question remains on its agenda, that a small State is not being subjected to duress by a Great Power. For the rest the problem of co-operation with a Russia which refuses co-operation on any normal terms remains. It is, on the whole, the most acute problem in the whole field of international relations. The only solvent that can be applied is Mr. Bevin's formula, which is also Mr. Byrnes's—patience and firmness. The firmness is at least as important as the patience, and the Security Council shows welcome signs on realisation of that.
