Iranian Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi threw a press conference shortly after his triumphal return to Tehran. [Mohammad Reza Pahlavi] The most important news he had to offer was that Iran is nearly busted, because of the quaint financial policies of deposed Premier Mossadegh, and is “ready to accept help -- from anybody.”

We’re strongly opposed to U.S. Loan handouts to small, busted nations as a general thing. However, here would seem to be an opportunity for the United States to do what it could toward keeping Iran free of Russia, by coming up with a loan offer.

We said loan not handout because the collateral should be a powerful lien on a lot of Iran’s oil. If we can buy Iranian resistance to Moscow on such terms, why not do it?