August 21, 1953

Shah Instituted Iranian Reforms

By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Shah Mohammed Riza Pahlevi, who is to fly back to Teheran today to the throne of Iran, is considered to be the direct antithesis of his father, the late Shah Riza Khan Pahlevi.

While the father was a soldier who ruled the oil-rich nation as absolute dictator from 1925 to 1941, when the British and the Russians, concerned about his pro-German leanings, forced him to abdicate, his son is a European-educated man who was trained to rule.

The late Shah, who founded the Pahlevi line after gaining control of Iran in a military coup, amassed a huge personal fortune. He was responsible for some modernization, including the construction of railroads connecting the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf with other parts of the country, but seemed little concerned with the poverty and miserable living conditions of the great majority of his subjects.

Instituted Social Reforms

His son has given away most of this wealth, has instituted social and economic reforms, including a seven-year development program begun in 1949 with United States aid, and has practiced the role of a constitutional monarch.

The philosophy of Mohammed Riza Pahlevi is expressed in a statement he made before the seven-year plan was drawn up:

"Our primary tasks today are to secure our independence, guarantee justice and liberty, and raise our standards of living and literacy."

The man who expressed himself thus is usually recognized by his angular chin, sharp prominent nose and broad mouth. His jet black hair is parted slightly to the left and combed straight back, his eyes are brown and he is of slender build and medium height.

A sportsman and hunter, he enjoys driving automobiles and flying his own plane.

As the heir presumptive to the Iranian Throne, Mohammed Riza Pahlevi received his early schooling in Teheran and was then sent to Le Rosey, a private school in Switzerland. There his extracurricular activities were athletics and driving fast cars. He was popular, as evidenced by his election as captain of the football team.

Oil Has Roughened Path

The oil that is 70 per cent of Iran's wealth has not made the young Shah's reign a smooth one. To begin with, in a country where nationalism has led to the assassination of officials by fanatics, he assumed the throne with the approval of the British and Russians.

After World War II the Shah sided with the West in a British-Soviet split over trade with Iran. The situation worsened when a "National Government of Iranian Azerbaijan" was established in that Soviet-occupied province bordering on the Soviet Union. The Shah's representative at the United Nations protested the continued Russian occupation of the province in March, 1946, and the young world organization gained much prestige when the foreign troops were withdrawn.

With his appointment of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh as Premier, the Shah went further into the background, and seemed to be becoming a figurehead. After the aging Premier expropriated the holdings of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, he used nationalism and histrionics to remain in power, despite a rapidly worsening economic crisis brought on by the loss of oil revenues.

The Shah's friendship for the West has been further demonstrated by a visit to this country in 1949.

His dislike for the Soviet Union was increased the same year when he narrowly escaped assassination. The Tudeh (Communist) party, which was believed responsible, was outlawed as a result. In the last months of Dr. Mossadegh's tenure, the illegal group had supported the elderly Premier's policies and actions in dissolving the Majlis (lower house of Parliament.)

The Shah's first marriage, to Princess Fawzia of Egypt, ended in divorce in 1948. His present wife is Soraya Isfandiari, granddaughter of an Iranian tribal chieftain.