Los Banos Rotary Club History
Vincent Hillyer Tells of Iran

A decidedly interesting travelogue on Iran, its people, customs, industry and tourist attractions was given members of the local Rotary Club Tuesday by Vincent Hillyer, husband of Iranian Princess Fatimah Pahlavi. He and his wife came from their home at Teheran, Iran, a few weeks ago, and are now visiting with his parents, dr. and Mrs. L. R. Hillyer.

He described Iran as a country of approximately the same size as Western Europe and twice the size of Texas, with a population of about 16 million persons.

The country is largely agricultural, with rice, cotton and tobacco as the major crops. It is also rich in minerals and oil, the latter asset being the source of the present heated dissention between that country and England. Commenting briefly on the oil situation, Hillyer explained that under the now suspended British operation Iran received but very little revenue from the oil fields, whereas in Arabia and Venezuela royalties to the government are about 50 per cent.

Stating that the Iranian people are keenly disappointed in the lack of action on the part of the United States State Department, he said they still look to this country for help and leadership. Part of this misunderstanding, he emphasized, is the result of misleading propaganda publicized under the guise of legitimate news in Iranian newspapers, most of which are owned and operated by foreign interests and minority cliques that seek overthrow of the country's government. Also, he added, newspapers throughout the world have misinterpreted and overemphasized Iranian news to the country's detriment.
Declaring that a large portion of the country's people are Illiterate, he stressed the effectiveness of radio, and stressed the fact that Russia operates a powerful and effective radio station located just at the border between the two countries.

From a tourist standpoint, Hillyer said that but very few American visit the country, though it has much to offer in historical lore, in scenic beauty, in big game hunting, and in most parts of the country, modern stores, hotels and vacation spots, where prices are exceptionally economical.
He also told of the country's world-famous rug industry and exhibited a small hand-woven silk rug of exceptional beauty, which he said required six months of painstaking labor to complete. Young Iranian girls, he said, do most of the intricate rug making, because the technique requires a child's sharp eyes and small hands to do the work. One rug in the Shah's palace in Teheran, he said, required 90 years – two generations – to weave.

Hillier also praised U. S. assistance in health control work, particularly in grants of DDT insecticide and in agricultural equipment. Among the poorer peoples, he said, the juvenile death rate is almost 60 per cent, mostly from malaria and typhus. DDT from the U. S., he said, has done much to reduce mosquitoes in the country, and the juvenile death rate has already shown a sharp decrease.

The speaker was introduced by Cecil Arthur, program chairman for the day.
New Member

Preceding Hillyer's talk, Edward Smith, local jeweler, was welcomed into the club as a new member by past president Chas. Kaljian. It was related that Smith migrated from his native Minnesota in 1935, settling in Lodi. He came to Los Banos as a Fuller Brush salesman in 1939, married Angie Giampietro in 1941 and they now have one child. During World War II her served in the Army for three and a half years, and after returning to his former job here, opened his present jewelry business two years ago.

October 17, 1951

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