The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-14 00:00:00

JOTTINGS ABOUT THE SHAH.

The Special Correspondent of the Daily rettgrapli
writes :

I have received from high authority certain informa-
tion in regard to the European tour of the Shah which
cannot fail to be of interest to your reader,. I am
assured that the j iurney was undertaken against the
wish of the nobility and priesthood of Persia, and,
moreover, that the chief object which his Majesty has
in view is to secure the friendship and support of Eng-
land in future complications, the occurrence of which
he believes to be inevitable. He is aware that the des-
tinies of his country must be mainly influenced by
two great European Powers, one of which he fears,
while he is disposed to tenet the other. The po-
litical views and predilections of the Shah, I am
further informed, are fully shared by his Prime
Minister, who accompanies him in his travel., and who
has the reputation of being a cultivated and intelligent
statesman. The Shah desires, in view of certain eventua-
lities, to arrive at a clear understanding with the British
Government, and he brings with him to our shores an
ardent desire not only to acquire our friendship, but
also to study our institutions. C•iuld he be satisfied of
England's firm support in the difficulties that he anti-
cipates he would assuredly be prepared to identify his
policy in Asiatic matters with our', and he looks for-
ward to the result of his visit to England with great
but hopeful anxiety.
During his sojourn in Berlin the Persian ruler has
every night, before retiring to rest, made with his own
hand copious notes of all that he had seen during the
day, and, despite the difficulty he experiences in ex-
pressing himself in French, he has, in conversation with
several august personages, proved himself possessed of
great intelligence, and a keen faculty of observation.
Unhappily he has no idea of punctuality, and it was
with difficulty that he could be persuaded to observe
anything like exactitude in the appiintments he made
with the Emperor. Empress, and Princess.
The title iif "King of Kings" is in no respect re-
garded by his Majesty as merely nominal. It is a tradi-
tion of his house that its Royalty is really and truly
above all Royalties, and that he himself is at least
titular ruler of all kingdoms on earth. To this and to
his Majesty's imperfect command of the French lan-
guage may be attributed the otherwise curious speech
which the Shah made in bidding farewell to the Russian
Emperor at the termination of his visit to St. Peters-
burgh. After thankidg the Czar for his magnificent
hospitality, the Shah-in-Shah said: "I have noticed
the way in whicn you govern this great country.
I am well satisfied with it; you may continue to
govern it, for you do so very well, and I am entirely
pleased with you." After this address, for the ac-
curacy of which I can almost von 1, the Shah gave to
the Empress that strange little movement of the
shudder which appears to constitute a Persian's salu-
tation to a lady, and stepped into his railway saloon,
leaving the Czar upon the platform transfixed with
astonishment and amusement—the latter predomin-
ating, no doubt, for the Persian Monarch is the
politest of men, and certainly intended nothing like
arrogance.