New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-11
RUSSIA IN PERSIA.


The so-called loan recently made by Russia
to Persia and the consequent entry of the for
mer Power into a large degree of control of the
domestic affairs of the latter form the text of an
interesting article by Mr.. S. g. w. Benjamin
published in another part of to-days Tribune
Mr.. Benjamin, who was formerly United states
Minister to Persia and has made the history and
condition of that interesting empire a special
study, writes with the authority Of knowledge
and Judgment. No one outside Of the Cabinets
Of the Governments concerned can have com
plete knowledge of all the facts. But from those
things which can be known much may be pretty
confidently inferred. 1t WILL we are inclined TO
think, be quite safe to regard the loan" in ques-
ton, as Mr.. Benjamin does, as a mere preteXt
for asserting Russian rule over territory which
the great Slav Empire has long coveted and has
long marked for it's own. 1t is scarcely con-
ceiyable that Persia was actually in need of so
paltry a loan as that of 100000 or that to
secure it she was compelled to make concessions
to Russia which practically destroy her indepen-
dence. But of course, IL for any other reason
she had been constrained to make of herself
mere vassal of Russia such loan would serve
| as a pretext to justify Russia automatically in
the eyes of Europe. 1t would not be the first
| time in history that nominal loan had been the
prelude to annexation.
|
The land of the King of Kings is we'll worth
possessing for its own intrinsic sake 1t is large
| in extent and rich in resources. But its strate-
| gic position, from both the commercial and the
| military point Of view. makes it Of unique in
| terest. A glance st the map with which We
| illustrate Mr.. Benjamins article will make this
| clear Persia abuts directly upon Russia, both
| in Europe and III Asia. 1t also abuts upon he
| northern extremity of the Indian Ocean 1t
| would therefore give Russia direct frontage
upon the latter sea, she already has upon the
Atlantic and the Pacific oceans Her great Cen
! trial Asian railroad could have terminal at
| Bander Abbas, at Bushre and make that
great commercial port both Of exit and of entry
There can be no doubt that such port would
| be of vast value in the development of Russian
commerce and in the rehabilitation of Persia
| itself. To attain that end alone it would be
worth Russia's while to acquire Persia at al
| most any cost. But that Is by no means all 1t
| is well known that Germany has acquired i'm
| portant concessions in Asiatic Turkey SO that
! she is deemed TO have pretty strong Teverson-
airy claim upon that land. At any rate she ia
colonizing Syria and Asia Minor and is about
| to build a railway from the Mediterranean to
| Bagdad, and thus open commercial route be-
tween the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf
and Indian Ocean. BY getting control of Persia
huSsid VIII insure LnaI tllS German trade shall
have its eastern terminal under the guns of
Russian fortress.
AS check 10 Great Britain the acquisition of
Persia would be still more interesting 1t would
bring Russia and Great Britain face 10 face
with no buffer State between them, for Belu-
chistan is now practically part of British India
1t would give Russia a port directly opposite
Bombay from which she could at any time in
tersect the British route from the Suez Canal TO
India. And 1t would put an insuperable Russian
barrier in the way OF a British railroad from
Egypt across Arabia and along the Persian
coast to India, scheme which has been for
some time seriously considered In brief Rus
sian occupation of Persia would be a stupen-
dous fankng movement rendering Herat and
all Afghanistan of no further account AS buffer
rampant. II would UNNECESSARILY outrank in
importance the conquest OF Afghanistan itself
since 1t would give Russia all that could be
gained by that and great deal more besides
No doubt If Great Britain were not SO much
occupied in South Africa this Russo-Persian
loan" would be the chief sensation Of the hour
and would fill the air with all sorts of rumors
of alliances and wars. The fact that II is for
the time overshadowed by more directly SEN
sational affair does not. however. deprive ii OF
the least part Of its significance. II may be that