New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-02

the interests Of Russia. at any rate as 1ar as -
consistent with his submission to the most fanati-
cal set Of the Shtes rite of the Mahometan faith
He Is opposed TO every idea Of Western progress,
enlightenment and civilization, and may be ex-
pected to undo even the little that his father has
done In that direction His elder brother, on the
other hand, who has hitherto been regarded as
barred from the succession by the pebeian birth
OF his mother. is a most llberal-minded and
progressive man, unusually enlightened for an
Oriental, ambitious to play political role and
great admirer OF everything English. He Is by
far the more popular Of the two brothers In Per-
sia and 1t Is by no means unlikely that revolution
may break out among his adherents with the OBJ
jsct of putting him on the throne In lieu OF Mu-
Zaffer ed-Dine. In that case civil war woud
ensue, in which Russia would be likely to inter-
vene In behalf Of the new Shah. and England IN
behalf Of his elder brother. the two European
Powers In question coming into conflict about the
matter. The death of Nassr ed-Dine, there-
fore. constitutes but one additional source OF un-
easness, and deeply concerns those statesmen Oh
the Old World who are ntrusted by their SOW
ereigns and by their fellc citizens with the
maintenance of the peace OF Europe.
My recollections Of the late Shah are OF de-
cidedly convival character. The first time that
saw him he was intoxicated-so drunk indeed
that the Emperor Of Austria, whose guest he
was did not know what TO do with him. IL
was in 1873, and instead OF the official personages
| nocklng to pay their respects to him as usuai
| In case Of foreign royal visitors, there was
general sauve-qul- -peut, every one dreadng to ne
rendered ridiculous by some social break on the
| part Of the King Of Kings One day, while at
| Vienna he visited the international exhibition
| and thinking that 1t would be a good opportunity
| to examine this Oriental potentate without being
seen or having to undergo the ceremony OF pres
| entation. took up my position In the interior
| Of the square formed by the series OF showcases
OF the great English siversmiths. ELLINGTON &
! Co.. believing OF course, that the. Shah wouio
! pass by To my horror he stopped. and entered
the square, while had but just time TO conceai
myself. as l thought. behind a large silver
shield representing Milton's Paradise Lost. In
fortunately this shield stood on an easel, and IN
| my hurry I mad failed 70 reflect. that although
! the upper portion OF my body was hidden from
sight yet my legs had remained on view The
Shan attracted probably by the odd spectacle
! OF a pair OF legJ behind this Shield. made MS
way directly toward it, and second two
later I behed hi swarthy. bespectacled and
grinning face peering into my own. There
was NJ help for Il. l had to come forth
and submit to presentation in due form by
!
/ ing outright at my confusion as have ever seen
him Nassr-ed- Dine. instead Of acknowledging
my low bow gazed at me through his glasses for
rrCment shifted con.erptuously, hicCoughed once
or twice and then turned mis- back upon me- the
Emperor good-natureily consolng me by patting
me In a friendly manner on the shoulder, with
few Of those kind words with which he has won
SO many hearts In addition to ny own. suDse-
| quently had occasion 10 discover tnat, mere
| HOY | usos han |
| OF my treatment. since some Of the greatest
dignitaries both foreign and Austrian, had been
subjected to even still more disconcerting rude
the part Of the King OF Kings. rude
ness which was only accounted for In part Dy
the fact that His Oriental Majesty had imboed
decidedly too much champagne at the deJeuner
which preceded the visit to the Exhibition. In
several cases. indeed. he had INDUCED in particu
! larly insulting and audible remarks in Ffencn
concerning the personal appearance OF the dis
! tinguished personages presented to him BY the
| Emperor. while In other Instances he took no
notice Of them whatsoever. but ree;ed of to the
nearest mirror, where he would stand Tor several
minutes. grinning ANA muttering at his reflection
! In the glass and twrling his long mustache.
Francis Joseph being engaged In the meanwhile
! In attempting t. excuse and atone for the be-
havior of his guest aid check the almost ire
pressble merrimcnt OF those who formed part OF
the Imperial cortege.
! The Shah's behavior at Vienna was on a par
with that OF which he was guilty in Lond~n. In
Berlin, In St Petersburg and in Paris. and with
out going into any unsavory details concerning
his habits IL is merely sufficient to state that
over 900 had to be voted by Parliament to
render Buckingham Palace habitable again
after his three weeks stay there. The furniture
had all to be burned, while not only the silken
panels the tapestries. the carpets and the paper
hangngs had TO be thrown into the flames. but
1t was even found necessary t. remove entirely
the plaster OF the walls and the parquette tcor
OF the rooms which he had Inhabited. The
slaughter OF a live sheep for sacrifca purposes
in one Of the Queens daintiest boudors was but
one OF the most pardonable OF all MS offences
against decency. and the sterch Of 1le rooms
occupied by his Persian Majesty in
tense and unbearable that quantities OF disin-
fectants had To be used before the palace at
taches could muster the courage TO begin even
a cleaning. Yet utterly devoid OF propriety as
he wac himself. he was only too reacy to punish
soecismS on the par, of the members OF his
suite and the Prince Os Wales H. never tired Of
telling the story of how he had to argue with the
Shah for AL hour In order to induce him at least
TO postpone until he got back to Persia a ter
rible punishment which he was about to nfct
for some breach OF proprety upon one of the
dignitaries of his kingdom during his visit 10
Trentham. where he was entertained. along with
the members Of the British Royal family by the
late Duke of Sutherland Indeed OF the
great fears entertained by the European Gov
ernments receiving him their guest was that
he would attempt during his stay within their
borders to infict upon the members OF his suite
some Of thos, horrible penalties and tortures
that common enough in the barbarOus
countries of the Orient but which would not be
tolera ted for one instant In Europe. even on the
part of a distinguish he'd Asiastic guest.
That he was powerful ruler cannot be denied
and perhaps the best evidence OF 1t is the fact
that he should have managed 10 maintain unim
paired his autOcracy during reign or wellnigh
half a century For he ascended the throne at
the age Of seventeen in 1913. being already a
father at the time. while from the age of twelve
he had been Governor-General or the Province OF
Azerba JAM with more power over life and
property than most European kings and en-
perors. When takes into consideration the
atmosphere In which he was reared and his
Oriental surroundings and his character. one
cannot hut admit that on the whole. he compared
favorably with the generality Of Eastern mon
archs He was hot-tempered and passionate
vet capable at times Of displaying both kindness
OF heart and generosity, while he showed some
breadth of view IN curtalllng the privileges and
prerogatives Of the clergy. transferring the ad-
mlnistra ton OF their vast property into lay hands
Moreover there has been a marked advance dur