THE FALL OF THE BRITISH LABOUR GOVERNMENT IN 1951, IN THE MIDST OF THE NATIONALISATION OF THE ANGLO-IRANIAN OIL COMPANY’S CRISIS.
On the same day as the communication from the Attorney General came, 28th September, ‘His Majesty’s Government submitted the oil dispute to the Security Council of the United Nations.’32 The British Government stated to the United Nations Security Council that it was the British Government’s policy to rely on the machinery of the United Nations and the rule of law rather than on the use of force. The British Foreign Office in a statement announced that Britain would now take her stand on the basis of the International Court’s interim decision of 5th July, which had ordered the maintenance of the status quo, as was outlined earlier in this chapter. In Teheran, the Iranian Prime Minister, Dr. Musaddiq, announced that he would fly to New York to present the Iranian case to the Security Council personally, though the Security Council was without competence to intervene in the dispute.
In London on 29th September, it was announced that orders had been given for the evacuation of the remaining British staff at Abadan. As W.R. Louis has described the last hour of waiting in his book, The British Empire in the Middle East:
On the morning of October 4, 1951, the party assembled before the Gymkhana Club, the centre of so many of the lighter moments of their life in Persia, to embark for Basra in the British cruiser Mauritius. Some had dogs, though most had had to be destroyed; others carried tennis rackets and golf clubs; the hospital nurses and the indomitable Mrs. Flavell who ran the guest house and three days previously had intimidated a Persian tank commander with her parasol for driving over her lawn, were among the party, and the Rev. Tyrie had come safely from locking up in the little church the records of those who had been born, baptised, or had died in Abadan… The ship’s band ‘correct’ to the end, struck up the Persian national anthem the launches began their shuttle service… The cruiser Mauritius steamed slowly away up the river with the band playing, the assemble company lining the rails and roaring in unison the less printable version of ‘Colonel Bogey’… The greatest single overseas enterprise in British commerce had ground to a standstill.33
By 4th October 1951, the last of the British personnel had been evacuated from Abadan. The Security Council in New York in the meanwhile, met on 1st October. The discussion on the item submitted by the United Kingdom was opened by the representative of the Soviet Union, who opposed inclusion of that item on the Security Council’s agenda on the basis that a discussion of the question in the Council would constitute interference in the internal affairs of Iran and a gross violation of the Iranian people’s sovereignty. Yugoslavia took a similar position. India gave a half-hearted support to Britain. Then Sir Gladwyn Jebb gave a lengthy account of the British case. He called on the Iranian Government to act in all respects in conformity with the provisional measures indicated by the Court. On the conclusion of Sir Gladwyn Jebb’s speech, the representative of Iran requested the Council to adjourn discussion of the question for ten days in order to allow time for representatives of his government to reach New York from Teheran.
After having been mollified by the suggestion of the representative of China to allow the President of the Council discretion to call a meeting earlier than ten days hence, the Iranian request was granted, and the next meeting of the Council of the Council was scheduled for October 11 at the latest. Subsequently, and after the last of the British staff had been evacuated from Iran on October 1, the Iranian delegate requested the President of the Council to postpone the next meeting of the Council from October 11 to October 15.34
The request was granted.
At his arrival in New York, accompanied by a large party of senators, cabinet ministers and journalists, Dr. Musaddiq gave a press conference at the airport, outlining the position he was going to take at the Security Council. He blamed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company for the backward state of Iran. He reminded the Americans of their fight against British imperialism, and asked for their support and goodwill.
- PRO, London, FO 371/98593, The General Political Correspondence of the Foreign Office, George Middleton to Sir Anthony Eden, British Foreign Secretary, Report on events in Persia in 1951, Confidential, 24th March 1952.
- W. R. LOUIS, op. cit, p. 689.
- A. W. FORD, op. cit, p. 129.
