New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-13

liuSLTdIloLS- 1JldSrafnS- HlanS and
Nsns bv the Author. IL Two Volumes. Octave
M Vii 461: viii. 459. Charles Scribners Sons.
The word Of warning which Mr. Lander
-.,,ds in this account Of his journey through
n.-sia and BeIuchistan, is clear and he reiter-
-..s Il again and again. Russian influence, al
-.e5v established in Northern Persia, is rap
.r- extending TO the south. where England's
"-.o-tunity should lie; and the government is
sr,sed 10 rouse itself to an active sense of the
--.neitioraI condition of the country and TO
+.ra prompt steps to prevent the collapse of
,a+eb trade Mr. Landor earnestly recon-
ends haste in the construction OF the railroad
-om Nushki the growing trade centre in
northeastern -Beluchistan, near the Indian
scn+ier and within the English sphere of in
spence 10 some terminus near the Perso-Be-
,.chistar border. Nushki is to be connected
r4fh India by railroad to Quetta. though the
.r+bor regrets that some less isolated post fur
.,er south was not chosen. This line of traffic
,ould do much to facilitate English business
,s+ions With Persia from the south, and meet
+na advance of Russian enterprise from the
,orth II some such steps are not taken, and
!, the excellent work Of the British eonsuls is
mi more effectively supported by the home
government, Russia will have things all its own
r,v IN Persia The idea. however, that such
intimacy. even if approaching assimilation.
uould endanger England's hold OF India is
onsi5ered by the author a delusion due 10 ig-
,rance Of the natural difficulties in salt deserts
and narrow mountain defiles. severe enough to
hattie the best of modern armies. A vivid i'm
u-ession OF the compelling reality OF these OBJ
s-scles Of the conditions Of life and Of the
.baracrer of the country in the land Of Iran
s afforded by this narrative of travel. The
paotographs alone. with which the two volumes
are freely Illustrated, make a valuable and in
tersstinE record.
The author proceeded to Persia overland. car
-rng under the protection OF letter from the
Russian Ambassador, a formidable outfit Of
cameras and firearms going by rail through
Russia TO the Caspian. and landing at the windy
Persian port Of Enzeli Thence by carriage road
and mule train he travelled south through the
cspitaI Teheran, where the parched land is
bored by myriad underground aqueducts. and
through kashan to Isfahan. the commercial
heart Of Persia" Turning east he went by
way Of Main TO Yezd. encountering some diff
Guilty at night with the erratic telegraph line.
which in places was literally laid on the ground
Yezd is in the centre OF the sect of Parsees or
C,uebres whom The author says 1t Is mistake
10 call fire worshippers-' From Herman TO
the southeast. a city which has never recovered
from the effects Of the ancient Afghan inva-
sion. he used camels and crossed in the short
tine Of twenty DAYS the long stretches of salt
desert 70 the northeast reaching Birjand. near
the Afghanistan frontier. the commercial centre
Of Eastern Persia From here his course lay
south across more mountains and deserts 10
The salt region of Sistan and the junction Of the
three frontiers Of Persia. Beluchistan and At
ghanistan. In Sistan he records some difficulty
IN finding the city Of Sher-i-Nasrya, because he
Inquired for the name given on the maps, Ma
sirabad. This name he found meant City Of
Victory in allusion 70 a conquest by the father
Of the present Emir. From Sistan. the half
zav house for trade between Persia and India.
his course lay east along the northern edge of
Reluchtstan. among unending sand dunes from
bungalow 70 bungalow, TO Nushki. This pas
sage southwark through the middle OF West
err Persia, and, by an elbow. through the cen
t7al eastern half. comprises a SURVEY Of all the
1vpfcaI conditions except those Of the better
known regions along the gulf
Nj Lander travels with his eyes open, and
whether ne is riding heavily wrapped in blan-
kets TO protect him from the prostrating fur
mace heat Of the desert. or wandering about a
curious diminutive city, outdating the marches
Of Alexander. little escapes his observation.
which in his record is always subject to the
corrective Of an easy play CT hunor. He is by
10 means however an airy stalker Of unusual
experiences What ne sees with alert and IN
elusive vision he ponders over till he comes TO
some settled, sharp conclusion Besides an eye
10 his own country's interests. he can read
lesson 70 the land he visits We cannot for
bear to quote this statement Of opinion:
After nv visit 10 the Minister of Foreign At
fairs 1 had the pleasure of meeting the Prime
Minister. the Minister Of War and the Minister
Of Public Works. l found them all extremely
interesting and courteous and well up in their
work But although talent is not lacking IN
Persia among statesmen. the country itself, as
il is to-day. does not give these men an oppor-
tunity OF shining as brightly as they mlght
The whole country is In such decayed conol-
ton that il needs q thorough overhauiing- linen
only II might be converted into quite a 1orfnl-
dsble country. It possesses all the necessary re-
qUirerents 70 be first class nation Talent IN
exuberance, physical strength. a convenient geo
graphical position, a good climate, consloerdplS
mineral and some agricultural resources are an
20 be found in Persia All that is wanted al
Present is the development of the country on a
solid. reliable basis, instead OF the insecure, In-
steady intrigues upon which business. Whelue!
political or commercial, is unfortunately carried
on in the present state Of affairs
No one realizes this better than the Well to 90
Persian and nothing would be more welcome 10
him than radical reform the part of the Shah
and the E,lfshrnent of the land Of Iran I'M
shakabIe foundations. With a national DEBT SO
r1diculouSly small Persia has at present, there
is no reason why, with her industries pushed
with her army reorganized and placed on a
serviceable footing. she should not rank as one
Of the most powerful among Asiatic independent
nations.
With reference to this army the author had
an Illuminating conversation with a high mill
tsry officer al Teheran. He had asked when ne
might see the troops drill we do not drill IN
summer" was the reply 1T is too hot do
You drill in winter?'' No, it is too cold Are
the troops then only drilled in the autumn ana
SPRING. Sometimes. They are principally
drilled few days before the Shahs birthday, SO
that they may look well on the parade before
his majesty
But the Persian character is shown in more
impressive aspects The Boston tea party and