You Owe Me, I.O.U.

September 18, 1953 — The Times Recorder


The Mossadegh Project | May 14, 2015                    


The Times Recorder of Zanesville, Ohio (“A Republican Newspaper”), published this lead editorial in their Friday edition, one month after the 1953 coup in Iran.




Back Home And Broke

“Several days ago,” according to James C. Hagerty, White House press secretary, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, of Iran, received the congratulations of President Eisenhower on his “happy return” to his country after the bloody repulse of the Mossadegh regime. Whether the President’s greetings came before or after the triumphant Shah announced to the world that his country was broke and needed money “in the next few days” remained in doubt. [after — Ambassador Loy Henderson delivered the note on August 27th]

Asked if he would accept Russian money, the outspoken young monarch replied, “We are ready to accept help from anybody.” Thus, we judge that practically everybody, meaning us and the Commies, are ready and anxious to provide for his needs. [Why would the Soviets want to fund the anti-Communist Shah?]

There will be no concessions given for such help, says the Shah. But he should realize by now that somebody had better crank up his oil industry—and he can’t. We tried to arbitrate Mossy’s fight with the British oil barons whom he threw out. Maybe we can do better with the Shah, now that he’s had a bit of a scare.

You could read this into the conclusion of the Eisenhower message: “ . . . my continuing good wishes for every success in your efforts to promote the prosperity of your people and to preserve the independence of Iran.”

But before we stuff our money under the palace door, maybe we’d better have an IOU from London.


Divvying Up the Loot: The Iran Oil Consortium Agreement of 1954
Divvying Up the Loot: The Iran Oil Consortium Agreement of 
1954

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Related links:

Iran Doesn’t Need Stockpile of Arms | The Charleston Gazette, August 4, 1976

Nothing Is Remote To Us Any More | Dothan Eagle (Alabama), Aug. 24, 1953

President Eisenhower’s Note Tells Mossadegh the Score | Buffalo Courier-Express, July 1953



MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”

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