Tough Questions, Please

The newsmen had finished their polite, respectful questions, and with punctilious protocol one of the visiting Shah's aides closed the press conference at the Iranian ambassador's house in London: "Thank you very much, Your Majesty."

Then Shah Mohammed Riza Pahlevi of Iran raised his hand. "Just a minute," he said. "You have been very friendly today. But I have had occasion to read in foreign newspapers, including British papers, articles we consider as not reflecting the truth. If any one of you would like to ask questions that would reflect what I would name--ah--funny ideas about things, I would be glad in answering them."

After a surprised pause the 150 newsmen, used to having celebrities duck tough questions instead of invite them, began firing from the hip. The Shah shrugged off possibilities of a revolution ("the line adopted by Moscow radio"). But he frankly admitted that some tribal chiefs opposed him, although he had recently banned New York Timesman Sam Pope Brewer from Iran for saying as much. Asked about his blacklist of correspondents, the Shah said, "I wonder if even Mr. Sam Pope Brewer could not return to Iran."

Inevitably came the question about the Shah's widely publicized search for a new wife. Was it true he had as many as "three or four" matrimonial prospects in mind? The Shah managed a smile: "That's not many . . . Would you marry the first girl you saw?"

When the Shah finally ended the press conference, the newsmen stood to applaud the ruler who had asked them to put him on the spot.

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