Half a century ago, or even less, the exiling of a chief of state in a French protectorate would have attracted only a few paragraphs in the papers.

About the same amount of space would have been devoted to the overthrow of the government in Iran—Persia in those days.

The world was a big place. There was always something going in the remote areas. But who cared what went on so far away?

As the world has shrunk, times have changed. The French government’s exiling of an anti-french sultan and his replacement by one who is pro-French has Morocco in a turmoil. Bordering countries are threatening to get in the dispute and take it to the United Nations. There we would be involved.

The overthrow of the Shah of Iran by Premier Mossadegh and then Mossadegh’s overthrow by a faction loyal to the Shah followed by the Shah’s return constitute a series of rapid and dramatic events that are tremendously important.

Who runs Iran and thus controls this oil-rich nation of the Middle-East determines events not just in Iran but on a global scale. Russia wants the oil of Iran. We and our allies would also like to have it or, at least, keep it from going to Russia.

So long as there is instability in Iran there will be uncertainty as to Russia’s ability to make war. And there will be no peace.

We just can’t shrug off something that happens on the other side of the world as being none of our business. Whether we like it or not, it is. We can’t escape being affected.

Small wonder that events which half a century ago rated a few paragraphs catch headlines now.