Page:Documents from the Den of Espionage.djvu/111

 THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

MEMORANDUM

TO :

Mr. Roy M. Melbourne

Mr. John H. Stutesman

FROM :

C. C. Finch

SUBJECT: C. C. Finch conversation with Dr. Sepahbodi

Monday, December 10, I had a conversation with Dr. Sepahbodi. He is an officer of the Iranian Workers Party and is a close friend of Dr. Bagai. Both Sepahbodi and Bagai have been members of the faculty of the University of Tehran for some years. They have a close personal relationship. I believe that it can be a safe assumption, therefore, that Sepahbodi speaks with some authority about the Iranian Workers Party.

Dr. Sepahbodi opened our conversation by stating that the Iranian Workers Party is supporting four candidates, under its own aegis. They are Mr. Yasseri (Ahwas constituency); Dr. Goushaguir (Disfol); Dr. Bagai (Tehran) and Dr. Sepahbodi (Tehran).

Dr. Sepahbodi emphasized repeatedly the fact that the National Front was not itself a political party but, rather, represented the "broad interests of all classes of people". In an apparent effort to give the National Front certain practical political support Sephabodi and Bagai hve been instrumental in calling together a special committee, with between 10 and 12 members to "advise" dr. Mosadeq and to give him support. The four principal groups represented by the committee are, in the order given by Sepahbodi. (1) the followers of Kashani, (2) the Iranian Workers Party, (3) the Iran Party, and (4) the corporations of the bazaar.

Among those attending the meetings are Messrs. Hassibi, Alayar Saleh, Nariman, Moshar, Makki, and Kashani. The group has no regular officers, no parliamentary procedure and no fixed time or place to meet. Dr. Mosadeq does not attend meetings of the group because, according to Sepahbodi, he is the head of government and cannot become involved in politics. When Mullah Kashani attends meetings he is always, by acclamation, made chairman of that particular session because of "his great eminence in the affairs of Iran".

Later in the conversation—Sepahbody obliquely again referred to the committee indicating the further aim of the committee was to establish a "close group of intellectuals interested in social and administrative reform".

I also discussed with Sepahbodi the part played by the Iranian Workers Party in the demonstration and riot of December 6. He stated