For years Soviet transmitters beamed a propaganda barrage against neighboring Iran, including appeals for insurrection against Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. These days Moscow's line is more seductive than destructive. In Teheran on a state visit last week, toasting the health of "Your Imperial Majesty," was the titular Soviet Chief of State, Leonid L. Brezhnev, one of Nikita Khrushchev's most promising protégés.
Like a road company version of the boss, the husky, bushy-browed Soviet President displayed the common touch. Waving a glass of vodka at a Soviet Embassy reception, Brezhnev gaily shouted "Down with protocol and long live freedom." The performance...