Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-27
PERSIA SEARCHED
FOR HAREM GIRLS
PASS THEIR LIVES IN LUXURY
AND lDLENESS
Palaces at Teheran Swarm with the
Most Beautiful Women That Can
Be Found by Royal Com.
mission of Experts
Special Cable to The Herald.

Special Gable to The Herald.
BERLIN, May 26.-One Of the first
things the new shah of Persia did when
he mounted the throne last January
was to send one of his most trusted
officials, accompanied by three eunuchs,
through his empire to find the most
beautiful girls in the realm for his
harem. Today his palaces are swarm
ing with women, his legitimate, recog-
nized wives, and the others.
His father would not recognize the
harem as 1t is now, after having been
transformed throughout inside, refur-
nished in the most luxurious manner,
refitted with much that is modern and
redecorated in the most extravagant
oriental style.
The favorite wife, mother of the
Crown Prince Ahmed Mira, is desig-
mated as Amir Ez Dowley !("Companion
Of the Sovereignty.
Wives and concubines lead lives of
Incidence, even such light occupations
as embroidery being left to servants.
They spend their time mainly in feast
ing and in gossiping.
Is Fond of Ease
Shah Mohammed Ali Mira himself,
not to call him lazy, Is fond OF ease, Is
given to pleasures and SO loves money
that some people call him avaricious.
His father left an immense fortune.
The stores of jewels in the strong rooms
Of Teheran are rich beyond computa-
ton. There arc priceless pearls, while
the diamonds, rubies and emeralds
scattered about are guessed to be worth
SIC, ,000, 900 at least.
There are three thrones, too, studded
with gems of great value. The most
famous is the peacock throne, worth
$15, 900, 900 and perhaps much more.
Then there is the ruby throne. a restor-
alton Of the peacock throne OF Delhi,
also brilliant with precious. Lastly,
there is the marble throne, a huge af-
fair which looks nothing like the COM
mon idea Of a throne.
One of the shah's most innocent
amusements is listening to story-tellers
in the good old-fashioned oriental man
ner. He has appointed several profess
sional story-tellers to be near his royal
person and when the king Of kings" is
weary or troubled one Of them is called
on to dispel the evil spirit much in the
same way as David played before Saul
when that potentate suffered from the
vapors.
The shah is great chess player and
is never allowed by his courtiers to lose
a game. There is a story current Of q
young member of the British embassy
who was invited not long ago to play
few moves. The shah sprang from
his seat in temper and swept the
board and pieces in a rage on to the
floor.
Mohammed Ali Mira is not states
man. His inclination to seek his own
comfort and diversion led him to grant
| his subjects, who were on the point of
revolution when he took the reins of
government, a constitution, a parlia-
manded.
Some of the great powers, coveting
Persia'S vast wealth of natural re-
sources, are stealthily striving to out
wit one another and gain control of the
shah for selfish purposes-to develop
the country, they smoothly put it. But
there are signs that the shah may imi-
tate the cunning sultan Of Turkey by
playing one power against another,
thus preserving his empire from spolia-
ton.
Russia considers herself the proper
guardian of Persia, England wants to
boss her, proper or not. Lately Ger
many has taken hand in the game.
The kaiser and his government are
beginning to recognize the shah and his
land as objects through which they will
be able to extend and strengthen Ger
man influence in the middle east. They
are evidently determined to develop the
resources of the shah's dominions with
German cLpital and lay the founda-
tions of interests which at first will be
economic and commercial, but will af-
terward grow to be political interests.
The new German ambassador at Te-
heran is a pushing man with CONNER
cial leanings rather than diplomatic
training, and his Instructions are TO
lose no opportunity of forwarding the
interests of his country even at the
risk Of treading on the corns of such
mighty competitors as Russia. and Mng-
land. Herr Steinrich, the ambassador,
is therefore making careful study OF
the shah.