The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-03-22

sure ne might nave Deen tempted 70 lie
Fote 10 her. was no longer his 70 dis
pose OF. being already demanded Of
him from a quarter that allowed Of no
refusal
For the first rlmblius Of TIE political
earthquake that was to shake the conn
Try made itself audible beyond denial
on that morning 81 March - when the
news spread through England that. IN
view OF the disorgauized state OF The
Persian army and the shah's coHse-
quent inability % suppress the open liz.
surrection OF the border tribes in the
northeastern districts OF Meshed. Rue
STA. with a great show OF magnanlmlty,
had come to the rescue by dispatching
q large armed force from her military
station at Merv across the Persian
frontier to the seat Of the disturbance.
To many hundreds of EaElishMen
who read their papers on that morning
this announcement conveyed but little.
That there is such country as Persia
we all know, that English interests pre-
| dominate in the south and Russian in
| terests in the north we have all super
tcially understood from childhood. but
In this knowledge, coupled with the
fact that. Persia is comfortably far
away. we are apt to rest content 1t Is
only to the eyes that see through long
distance glasses the minds that regard
the present as nothing more or less
than an inevitable link joining the fu-
ture to the past, that this distant, de-
batable land stands out in its true po-
litical significance.
To the average reader of news the
statement of Russia's move seemed
scarcely more important than had the
first report of the border risings in
January, but to the men who had
it came charged with portentous mean
ing. Through the entire ranks Of the |
opposition, from Fraide himself down
ward, it caused a thrill of expectation
that peculiar prophetic sensation that
every politician has experienced at
some moment of his career.
In no member of his party did this
feeling strike deeper root than in Loder.
Imbued with lifelong interest in the
eastern question, specially equipped by
personal knowledge to hold and pro-
claim an opinion upon Persian affairs,
he read the signs and portents with In
stinctive insight. Seated at Chilcote's
table, surrounded by Chilcote's letters
and papers, he forgot the breakfast
that was slowly growing cold, forgot
the interests and dangers, personal or
of the night before, while
his mental eyes persistently conjured
up the map of Persia, travelling with
steady deliberation from Merv to Me-
she'd, from Meshed to Herat, from Her
1T to the empire of India! For it was
lot the fact that the Hazaras had risen
against the shah that occupied the
mind, nor was it the fact that /
Russian and not Persian troops were {
destined to subdue them, but the deep
Y important consideration that an l
lrmed Russian force had crossed the |
rontier and was encamped within I
wenty miles of Meshed-Meshed. up
N which covetous Russian eyes have +
ested ever since the days of Peter the G
treat 6
So Loders thoughts ran as he read v
nd reread the news from the varying S
olitcal standpoints, and SO they con- S
inued to run when, some hours later,
Il urgent telephone message from the D
t. Georges Gazette asked him to call e
t Lakeley's Office. v
The message was interesting as well e,
s imperative and he made an instant fl
asponse The thought of Lakeley's
cen eyes and shrewd enthusiasms al M
'ays possessed strong attractions for
Is own slower temperament, but even W
ad this impetus been lacking the m
nowledge that at the ST. Georges of
ces, if anywhere, the true feelings Of in
lie party were invariably voiced would ri
ave drawn him without hesitation.
It was scarcely II o'clock when he de
rned the corner of the tall building, 6r
1t already the keen spirit that Lakeley Of
'erywhere dfffused was making itself
1t. Loder smiled to himself as his DR.
-es fell on the days placards with co
cir uncompromising headings and
ssed onward from the string of gay oi
painted carts drawn up to receive 90
cir first consignment of the paper to nv
e troop of eager newsboys passing in .
ID out of the big swing doors with l.,
cir piled up bundles of the early edi- NJ
IN, and with a renewed thrill Of ~
ticipation and energy he passed ~