THERE ISN’T MUCH the United States can say in reply to Premier Mossadegh’s appeal to “help the national aspirations of Iran” in its current oil dispute with Britain, except to advise the Iranians to take another long look before they leap. [That quote was not in Mossadegh’s June 28th letter to Truman, but incorrectly appeared as such in press articles.]

And we’ve done that before without making any apparent impression in Teheran.

Neither Britain nor Iran has shown a sense of realism at any time during this controversy. One country is as much at fault as the other for the existing deadlock, which threatens to close down the largest oil operation in the Middle East.

Such a calamity might yet be averted by a little give on both sides.

lf Britain would accept the fact of nationalization, and if Iran would offer the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. a fair operating contract to carry on the business, an arrangement might be worked out to their mutual advantage.

THE OIL COMPANY can no longer expect to resume its former pre-eminent position in Iran, and Iran cannot operate the industry without technical assistance, which the company can best supply.

But unless the parties to this angry feud can see the situation in this light, there isn’t anything more the United States can do to bring them together.

Which is not to say that the crisis in Iran is a matter of no grave concern to the United States and the free world. Much more than Iran’s oil production is at stake.

The conquest of Iran has been a Russian aspiration for centuries, and is known to be one of Stalin’s goals. [Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin]

Once Russia is in possession of Iran, Turkey would be outflanked, the Soviets would dominate the Persian Gulf and face an open road into Africa. That is in early prospect, if a loss of oil revenues brings the collapse of the present Iranian government. The Communist Tudeh Party in Iran would be most likely to come to power under such circumstances.

Sheer stupidity has permitted this situation to get so badly out of hand.

Now it is very late to do anything about it.

But if the Iranians are beginning to realize that they have bitten off more than they can chew, perhaps they will come around to the point where they will be willing to submit the problem to arbitration.