Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
PERSIAN CHARACTER
Natives Said to BE Masters OF
Art of PrevariCation.
HABIT OF PROCRASTINATlNG
Never Do Today What Can Be Put Off
Until Tomorrow.
PERSIAS ALL-AROUND MAN
Land Where Slaves Are Never Made
to Work Hard--Harsh Proverbs
Concerning Women.
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star
So Persia is to have a constitutional form
OF government. Well the next thing we IL
be hearing about this ancient seat OF the
human race is that a band of truthful ma
tives has been found within its boundaries
MANY persons who are at all conversant
with Persian ways and natives within the
boundaries of that country declare that the
Persian prevaricator is the greatest of all
his kind. One man who passed the greater
mart of his life in Persia testihes that tine
natives tell untruths as long as they can
find them to tell. after which they may
from accident or necessity speak the
truth" Many missionaries, travellers. sol
diers. diplomats and others also bear testI-
rnony TO the allegation that the art OF pre-
varlcstlon. as national accomplishment
has reached its contamination In the Per
sian race.
II is even declared that the natives them
selves take no little pride in being such
adroit perverters Of the truth. Inc ELDEST
son Of the shah was one time recountlng
for the benefit OF an English friend, the re-
markable feats that he performed while on
a hunting expedition. When MS royal hi ign,
ness had finished and the Englishman had
failed 10 Join IN the applause, he was ask
ed by his host why he was silent
because l don't believe all that happen
ed. was the cHaractefisiiCdiS DAN''N o'''
ish answer.
The prince laughed heartily.
You are right II is "A lie he said. and
ris whole attitude was that OF having told
ar exceedingly clever one.
Prevaricating No Disgrace.
You can call Persian a liar with i'm
punity He never thinks OF being insulted.
Instead he smiles blandly at you-and goes
right on spinning a bigger yarn than be-
fore II +, Is possible for him TO do so.
This national characteristic not only
causes foreigners a deal OF trouble until
they learn by experience to doubt the word
OF every Persian; It also operates to make
every Persian distTustful OF his own flesh
ard kin even. one result IS that the nat
ur4l wealth OF the country IS undeveloped.
di.trust being so universal that Persians
viii not band together in large companies
Z 10 carry on enterprises OF any sort.
Every Persian is taught from the cradle
thai IL Is meet and proper for him to deny
his faith for safety's sake, This religious
training has undoubtedly operated 10 make
the Persiaus prone to tell untrnths. The
. philosophy OF the thing is obvious. If 1t Is
right 10 deny ones faith for safetys sake,
then IL Is undoubtedly right TO tell a lie
when it will lead to personal advantage.
And II a person begins TO lie for conveu-
fence sake It will not be long before he will
be lying for pleasures sake, or lying sim
My because his tongue has forgotten how
t. speak the truth
one. 81 the most frequently quoted of Per-
Sian proverbs runs \ liar is an enemy OF
God Yet the Persians think that Allah
loves them above all other true believers.
The Comic Opera Master-Mason.
Latin America has been damned as the
land Of liars and tomorrow. II is already
clear that at least another portion OF the
globe has a mighty plethora of truth haters.
/ Nor is Latin America a whit more devoted
90 ''manana' than Persia.
Every body. from the shah down, puts of
even the most pressing work until tomor-
row please God, tomorrow" greets the
ear on all sides. When any task Is by
chance undertaken. IL is pursued in dis
tressngly lelsureiy fashion,; so much so
that building speculation is not known any
where on the Irsnian plateau, and that un-
suspecting foreigner who starts to rear q
roof over his head is all but ready for an