The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-01
ex-MINIsrER S. G. w. BENJAMIN
Gives = RepOrtsr an Account OF bis TX
perience While In Persia.

Gives Reporter an Account OF His TX
perience While In Persia.
New York Sun interview
@How do the Persians treat Christians
and Europeans7"
sNot badly. if their fanaticism is not
aroused Then they become dangerous
A few years ago if a European consorted
with Persian woman he was killed at
once. or obliged to turn Mohammedan
and marry her. Even now it would Gre
ate the greatest trouble, so that Euro
peans .confine their attentions to the Ar
menian women of the native Christian
population. When the shah's wives drive
through the streets men go ahead to
clear the streets and warn all persons to
conceal themselves. If a man has no
chance of getting away he turns his face
around and does not look, on pain of be
!. ing roughly handled or perhaps killed on
the spot. Europeans are compelled TO do
sthe same thing
In June of last year, owing to the in
tense heat / was compelled to move my
family out of the city. On my way to
the country met large force of soldiers
sascortiHg the shah's wives. If a Persian
had CHANGED to glance at the royal ladies
ia such circumstances he would have
Jared. hard, but the foreign legations have
tights and privileges of their own, so /
htood my ground. Some twenty Of the
mounted guards violently attacked US and
beat my servants and their horses in the
effort TO drive them back Idirected them
to stand their ground, and things we're
looking serious, when one of the queens
Who recognized the servants of my lega-
ton by their badges, sent her chief eunuch
70 call the soldiers away. We were then
allowed to pass through without further
molestatiOn
This attack was an insult TO the dignity
OF the legation too great to be overlooked,
and l wrote a note to the minister of
foreign affairs demanding satisfaction i'm
mediately. The reply to my note being
tardy and evasive, felt it my duty to in
form the minister of foreign affairs that
unless my terms were granted in thirty
six hours [ should haul down the flag and
demand my passport The result justified
my action Without going into details,
may say that not only was the most ample
satisfaction rendered US within thirty six
hours. but my course received the ap-
proyal of the entire diplomatic corps and
added to the high prestige awarded to
foreign legations at the court of Persia
On another occasion a servant of one
OF Lny attaches nearly killed a Persian
This Immediately created the greatest ex-
element. and mob formed with the in
teDtion of attacking the legation The
minister of foreign affairs notified us to
be prepared I ordered our military
guard to load their arms, and stationed
them at the weak points where the mob
might enter, making preparations also to
send my family to a place of safety. Hap
PLY the earnest efforts of the authorities
were successful in queIling the riot
Last spring the official paper. Shereef,
published an article that was .disrespect-
fuI to President Cleveland. immedi-
ately demanded that a full correction
shot ; be made and new article printed,
in y y he should be treated with the
gre VlAhonor. After much persistency
tn is done Visits were very cere-
and 1t was necessary to send no
tice beforehand, and servants would come
out to meet US as a T4ark of honor.