When Prime Minister Clement Attlee told the House of Commons last July that His Majesty's government would not withdraw from Abadan completely, the British lion seemed ready for an oldtime imperial roar. From Cyprus to the Persian Gulf, British paratroops, marines and warships stood by. They were ready to go into action if Iran tried to seize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.'s huge refinery.
Last week, when Iran did seize the refinery, the lion made no sound beyond a gritting of teeth.
Eviction & Histrionics. The Iranian government of Premier Mohammed Mossadeq mailed businesslike...