Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-14
Gen, MORTEzA KHAN
New Persian Minister Ex-
pected Soon.
A M AN OF WEALTH
WILL HANDSOMELY FURNISH
THE LEGATION.
Hopes to Increase Trade Between His
Country and the United
States.

Gen. MOrteZa khan, Styled Momtdz VI
Molk who succeeds Gen. Isaac Khan as
envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo-
tertiary from Persia to the United States.
is expected to arrive in this city In a he"
days and present his credentials to the
President He sailed from Antwerp last
Saturday He left Teheran, the Persian
capital, about six months ago, and is traV-
cling in leisurely eastern fashion. The new
minister is a bachelor extremely wealthy,
and comes of a noble line. His father, the
late Hadj Mira Djerad Khan, was the
first man in the empire to introduce Euro
pean ideas and started the Iran, the first
publication approaching the newspaper as
Americans understand 1t. He was appoint
ed minister of education, publication and
mines.
Minister Morteza Khan was page in the
royal palace and has passed his life in OFF,
cia posts. When he was eleven years old
the Shah sent him to the imperial school
at Dar-el-Funnun. He went in 1878 to
Paris where he finished his education lie
returned to PerssA in 1882 and was appoint
ed chamberlain to the shah and dragoman
in the state department.
The present shah appointed General Nor
teza Khan consul general for all the eau
casus at Tifis, Russia. and in 1899 made
him first assistant secretary of the foreign
office. He was transferred later to the
state department, where he had charge OF
the affairs of the United States, the Latin
countries of South America, France, Hol-
land and Italy.
New Secretary of Legation.
Mesrop Newton Khan the new secretary
of the Persian legation, who preceded the
new minister from Teheran to New York,
is an accomplished diplomat and speaks
English, French, German, Persian, Turkish
and Armenian with equal fuency. When
the present shah assembled the throne, on
the death of his father, he sent a special
embassy to inform President Mckinley OF
his accession, and MesrOp Newton Khan
was its secretary.
He was also the Persian delegate to the
Congress of the Universal Postal Union
which met in Washington, and 1t was for
the services he rendered on these two mis-
sions that the shah honored him with the
title of khan, which is equivalent to pat
ent of nobility. He is a son of an ofhclal
in the Turkish civil service, and was grad
uated in the medical department of Column
bia University, New York.
Before coming to America he was edu-
Gated at Robert College, near CONSTANT
nople, and at the University of Geneva. 1t
was not until after his graduation from
Columbia that he went to Persia and en-
tered the army of the shah. His education
and experience here served him In good
stead and his rise was rapid.
Preparing for the Minister.
MeSrOp hnan mas Deen III NEW 1Oih Aoi
several days arranging for the installation
of the new minister in the legation at TAB
18th street Twenty cases of rare rugs,
Persian furniture and art objects were sent
to the legation building, to make the new
minister comfortable. Newton Khan has
brought two unique windows of stained
glass; one of which is to be presented to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art OF New YORK,
and the other probably to the smithsonian
Ha
are extremely rare even In Persia ana
there are none like them either in this coun-
try or in Europe. They are very ancient
how old he did not know.
These windows are not like western SIAM
ed glass. They are double, and the de-
sign on the two sides is entirely different.
They open, pulling up and down like or
binary windows. The outer glass Is I'M
stained but is covered with a delicate pat
tern in gold filigree. The inner glass mas
a different pattern, formed Of little pieces
of colored glass, with few painted panels.
The panes are not set in lead but in wood,
which makes them all the more curious.
1t is a very subdued light that penetrates
these double panes.
Minister Morteza had a beautiful home
in the fashionable quarter of Teheran, the
capital of Persia, where his aged mother
lives. He has sent to Washington large
quantities of rich draperies, expensive Or
naments and gorgeous examples of Per-
sian art with which to embellish the lega-
ton. He brings Persian chef and small
retinue OF native servants.
To Extend Trade.
1t is the aim of the minister to open up
a great trade between this country and
Persia. At present the wares, fabrics and
art works of Persia are practically I'M
known here, and it is the idea of the Per-
sian government that part of the Jap
anese trade with the United States in such
commodities may be diverted to Persia.