The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1963, Síða 35

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
33
The room turned out to be fully as
good as the lad had promised. We ar-
rived at the house at four o’clock in
the afternoon and were greeted most
hospitably by its head. The man had
a small dray business the equipment
for which consisted of three wagons
and three team of oxen (one animal
of which turned out to be a cow, the
source of the family’s milk supply).
In other words he was not a man of
great means. He had a modest home
and was gainfully employed. We were
immediately served tea and sweets.
While we were drinking our tea, I
indicated that I would like to talk to
him and to get some impression of
Iran from him. This he agreed to do
after determining what we would like
for our evening meal. This man devot-
ed the rest of his day to providing for
us and talking to us.
After the evening meal—more like
a feast—which was a specialty of the
area, we indicated our desire to leave
at 5:00 A.M. the following morning.
For the first time, our wishes were
denied. We were emphatically inform-
ed that wre would not be permitted to
leave without eating breakfast, and
that would be served at 6:30 A.M. We
naturally agreed to his wishes, and left
after a very fine morning meal.
The reader will remember that this
man’s young son was soliciting for
paying lodgers. When the time came
to settle the account, it was not pos-
sible to persuade our host to take any
money, let alone set a price. After
much argument, we finally deposited
what we hope was reasonable on a
table through an open window and
left. I hope he used it.
We encountered this same attitude
wherever we went—on the part of com-
plete strangers as well as on the part
of friends. Furthermore, this hospital-
ity applied everywhere. I do not re-
member entering a single business of-
fice without being offered tea. Even
while shopping, if a transaction took
any time at all, either hot tea or cold
pop was offered.
Iran is a nation of twenty million
people which I no longer can think of
as an underdeveloped nation. It is,
however, a developing nation. It is a
nation which is anxious for change,
but is at the same time somewhat
afraid of change.
Education is recognized as an im-
mediate need and some rather impres-
sive steps are being taken to increase
literacy. This change is occuring too
slowly in the minds of most Iranians,
and too fast for some.
It is generally recognized that the
land and water resources are not be-
ing utilized fully. It is also recognized
that labour is underemployed. But
there is no unanimity on whether agri-
culture should be the source of saving
for industrialization, or whether
industrialization should be paid for
out of oil revenues and foreign capital.
It is generally agreed that the old
feudal land holding system must be
changed. Several changes have occured
as a result of attempts at land reform.
But all of these changes have not
served the orderly development of
agriculture.
Large dams have been, and are being
constructed to conserve the limited
water supply and to provide hydro-
electric power. Far reaching changes
will occur as a result of these structures.
If there is one single idea which
finds virtually complete unanimity
among Iranians, it is that they must
resist development in the image of the
West or the East. Iranians are proud
of their heritage and they want to
keep it. They are afraid that politically
based foreign aid, from whatever