Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10
CONSTITUTIONAL PERSIA.

gorgeous display of oriental pomp and
| ceremony rarely eQualed on
All Mrza the 10th of January when
Crowned. Mohammed Ali Mira, son of
the late Muzaffer Eddin. was
crowned Shah of Persia, the sixth of the
Kadjas dynasty.
The young sovereign entered the sale Of
| the 'Peacock's Throne" accompanied by .
brilliantly bejeweled court MOhammed
wore upon his breast and in the crown. as
the protocol commands on such occasions,
an tho jewels OF the state: enormous tur-
Quoises. rubies. emeralds and amethysts,
valued at 900 francs. The young
shah has inhefited these and more, for his
father short time before his death granted
Persia Q constitution
Would the son adopt the reforms which
the reformists had boldly imposed upon the
emiable and ktnd-hearted Muxaffer Eddin
1 me pessinists said nay. but the optimists,
confident In the superior intelligence and
occidental education Of Mohammed Ali, be-
iieved that he would act in full accord with
the progressive spirit which had suddenly
arisen IN Persia. And the young sovereign
has not belied tho belief of the optimists.
For Immediately after his coronation he
sent message to the parliament recogniz-
ing himself as constitutional sovereign and
| that Persia henceforth was under a con-
stitutional regime. The Russ of st. Peters
burg. discussing the latest development of
the reform movement In Persia, declares
with manifest humiliation that the Persians
have quietly and almost without struggle
outdistanced the Russians In their effort to
| acquire responsible government.
1t IL certain that there Is something
| changed in the Persian mind. Formerly
awakened and have acquired a notion of
political liberty. The Persian people have
especially manifested this sentiment in their
| recent opposition to foreign infiltration in
1 Hr0 ~ D~s Ii.
course to foreign loan and favor instead
the creation of national bank entirely
separated from foreign interests or foreign
aid The enormous debt created by the
late shah will render such isolation diff
! cult. but not impossible. 1t is all impor-
/ tant that the Persian parliament under
stands that, If independence Is to be MAIN
| tanned. the first step to that object is the
complete elimination of all foreign asso-
| citation or interest in Persian finance. Rus
STA, England and Germany in turn have had
| recourse to loans to enthrall and capture
Persia, and the entree of Germany into the
combination thus constitutes q three-hand-
ed contest for financial control. The Per-
sian parliament. recalls doubtless that the
| first move that led to the loss OF Egyptian
| independence was q resort to European
| loans through a willy Egypto-Armenian
minister, who may be justly charged with
| having contributed thus more than an
other. to the sacrifice of Egyptian indie
pendence. The lesson is real and not yet
entirely concluded, and the Persian par
| Lament and the shah may read with profit
| the story Of Egyptian finances under Nubar
Pasha.
Muzaffer Eddin, when he assembled the
| throne on June s. 1896 declared in the
Spirit characteristic, that all pub
Of Equality. lie employment or distinc-
ton should be accorded his
subjects for merit only, and not for favor
] itism. Unhappily, Muzaffer Eddin pos
| sessed the mania of munificence and, like
| the Khedive of Egypt, who acquired the
familiar title of 'Ismail the Magnificent" he
created vast debt, which, cs in the case
/ of Ismail, might have been made the pre-
text Of the enforced abdication of MuZaffer
| Happily, however. for Muzaffer, kismet
! or destiny was kind and prevented such in
( justice.
| In 1908 symptoms of disaffection mani
| tested themselves in the popular revolts at
Chiraz. Ispahan and Tabriz. and the
| sadraZam or grand viZier. who had encour-
| aged his master in acts which were UNI
| popular, was obliged to retire. The discon-
| tent became general as time went on and
the mollahs and mujtahids. priests and
| high priests. became the vehement inter
| prefers of popular dsaffection, preaching
| from the mosque union with the common
object of emancipation. A real crisis came
| during the year 1906, when the priests, as
| a protestation, exiled themselves to the
| secret city of Kerbela. Thereupon the mer-
| chants of Teheran, joining in the manifes-
| tation. closed their shops and. accompanied
| by thousands of natives. fed for refuge to
the gardens of the British legation,
! Was this note of warning to the shall
| that although Teheran was distant from
| the Persian gulf, an appeal to British in
| reference was not an impossibility? In any
event the movement, however audacious.
accomplished its purpose, and Muzaffer
Eddin. who had seen through a glass dark
| ly, was now enlightened
| The shah promptly appointed as grand
! vizier Mira Nasr Oullah Khan, with the
| title of muchir ed doula Counsellor of
| state), and the same day Ell Iran, the Of
fetal journal, published the following decla-
ration:
1--WE desire to institute order in govern
| ment. to insure tranquility and stability.
| and that necessary reforms shall be intro
| duced in all branches Of the administra-
| tion
| national council shall be e.ected from
| among princes. savants, kadjars. mobiles,
| landlords, merchants and artisans. That
| in these classes a certain number of depu-
held at Teheran. They shall consult with
care our ministers as to all the reforms
| projected. They may express in perfect Sc
| curity their opinions relative to the state
| and the wants Of the people. They will
| then send us by the intermediary Of the
| chief officer of state their suggestions.
| which we will sign and promulgate.
Done at the Chateau of Sahah Granie
the IA djouinda second 1920 the eleventh
| year Of our reign august s. 1906.
I ''MOZAFFER."
| The destour or constitutional charter
| establishes an electoral college divided into
| six categories; the eligibles are Persians
! who can read and write Persian ana aged
| from thirty to seventy years; ineligibes
| are those holding any public office: those
| condemned for any violation of the laws of
Islam: those belonging to any corrupted
| faith (such as Babism); those who may
| have committed a fraudulent failure; those
| belonging to the army and navy, foreign
! ers and, finally, women.
| Such in brief is the form which has been
| given to the Persian parliament.
correspondent Of LIE Temps of Paris
| writes from Teheran on January 20 the re-
suit of several interviews
| views OF had with political person
| the Vizier. ages on the subject of the
| new constitution. The first
| of these was the grand vizier who said:
| 1.-THE government endeavored to give to
| the country reasonable constitution.
| Prof7tinR nv the experience of some Euro