The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-17

casian territory Of Russia. It is the
province nearest 10 European influence.
The late Shah there learned to speak
Russian. and 10 fear Russia. He spoke
French fairly. in brief. abrupt sentences
which led to 10 others. His natural ami
ability tempered his frankness, which also.
was remarkable. As the director OF the
Jardin des Plantes took him round. be
stopped before the cage OF Hyder and
Laliah, two Indian tigers.
"Wretched beasts" said the Shah. IN
my youth, when ] liked tiger hunting, I
should have scorned 10 chase such miser-
able things"
There are still tigers In the Persian
/ jungles along the Caspian, and they az
ford good sport 10 imperial governors.
The Shah. on being brought TO the ele-
plants Enclosure, said 10 the director:
Is that all you can show me- have
800 elephants in my stables
Some Original Comments.
On the terrace Of Versailles, as the
great perfumed fountain played. Muzanr-
ed-Din stopped his nose, and wanted to
know why water that smelt so bad had
been brought there?
The playing of the intermittent foun-
tains amused him. but he preferred Cults
tan. with its wealth Of roses and its pure
waters in channels lined with BLUSH green
porcelain, 10 any royal residence he had
seen in Europe. On seeing the bed Of
Louis XIV, the Shah asked did that mon
arch often fall out ia sleeping
The late Shah had a soul alive TO music,
but peculiar taste. His numerous pianos.
pianolas and other Instruments were
''massed" to form a domestic orchestra.
His sons and daughters received good
musical training. and the present saah
I is an accomplished pianist
Railway travelling upset the late Shah's
nerves. BY insisting on 24-mile-an-hOur
pace, and taking with him q great retinue.
he made his tours in the West incredibly
expensive. He had not the same objection
70 the motor, and used those motors he
imported. on the excellent road-the only
good road IN Persia-between Resht and
Teheran.
Pooling Tax Collectors.
1t is a mistake. / have been told, 70
suppose that the late Shah admired the
/ bazaar trash which he took back with
him 10 Persia. He had different reasons,
some benevolent and some patriotic, for
| importing great cargoes OF articles de
/ Paris. The road I have spoken Of was
made by a Russian company in return
/ for toll monopoly and the exclusion
Of European merchandise, save Russian
al the Persian port in which it terminates.
on the Caspian. The Shan has q personal
I privilege 10 import in his own baggage
/ The late Shah took advantage Of this 10
I bring back 10 his wives, daughters. and
TO his courtiers, for their domestic use,
all the pretty things that took his fancy.
His keepsakes and souvenirs Of Europe.
the Marche things, brought joy into his
own harem and the harems of the great
lords about him. He placed many of the
/ porcelain articles be brought back near
those OF Persian ID show the esthetic
superiority OF the latter. he took a Just
/ pride in Persian carpets and pOTcelains,
and III his rose gardens. which q French
man named Simon directs. Another
Frenchman, N. Lemaire. directs the I'm
perial C0nservatOire at Tcheran. from
which. OF course, young ladies are ex-
ciuded, and NJ. Gafcry, the minister Of
public works. which has been pcrhars a
rather sinecure appointment is a poly
technic old boy.
New Shah Has One Wife.
Mohammed Ali Mira has no harem
and lives on the footing of d comrads
with his one wife, who has a Partisan
social secretary attached TO her house
hold and two aids. The new Shah kept
at Tauris twelve Frenchmen-serying as
blacksmith. veterinary. gardener. tall
confecuoHer arthcer of fireworks. piano
tuner, architect. civil engineer. chauffeur,
and maitre dhotel, who had been an
/ assistant at the foreign ministry.
His new majesty is a man Of lew
words Otherwise he could earn a name
for speaking French fiueutly. as De pos
sesses that tongue 50 thoroughly. d.
not see why he should not gladly cooper
ate in the constitutional reforms which
have been latterIy called for in Persia.
As things stand. he has no mon. power
| than the early Capets. beyond that OF
naming his sons governors OF provinces
under the tutelage, If they be mere boys.
/ of subgOvCrnOrs.
If the late Shah had a good time per-
sonaily through his ten years reign, IL
was on borrowed money None of his
sons inherited his easy-gOing mansue-
tudc. They all resemble the grandfather
in disposition and character. and tla
three elders have. as governors Of
provinces, shown themselves as cruel
The third. About Eatz. is as much the
desperate as any of the Kurds he gov
ems. and drives into revolt by his fiscal
oppression
What Shah Can DO.
I once asked the late Sir Robert Muir
doch Smith, who passed twenty-three
years in Persia and connected it. teIeg-
raphically speaking, what the limits Of
the Shah's powers were. He said. IN
fiscal matters he has hardly any power;
but his name has great moral fo4ce In
other things.
"He can cut off heads. or he can grant
concessions. or tell his subjects what they
ought TO do, consistently, of course, with
the teachings Of the Molahs. He gen
orally exerted his power Except TO de-
capitatel in conformity with the advice
given him by his French doctor. Thelu-
son, one Of the most just and ubliging
men it has ever been my good fortune 10
meet. He helped me 10 obtain q decree
90 forbid the use Of mineral dyes in car
pets and other things.
OCT of the Mouths Of Babes.
From the Chicago News.
Sunday School Teacher-What would