The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-21

Berlin. April 20.-GermdnN, IN need OF
new fields of expansion, has marked down
Persia as a favorable country for exploit
tation, and elaborate plans have been
worked out for the promotion of German
commercial interests and the extension Of
German enterprise in the Snah's dominion
These plans are. on absolutely reliable
information, to be carried out by German
capitalists. supported by the German gov
eminent. in spite of the fact that every
step forward contemplated by the Ger
mans involves an invasion of the recog-
nized sphere of British influence and an
attack on British interests in Persia.
German enterprise in Persia thus prom
ises to bring about a critical situation in
the Middle East. besides increasing the
tension between Great Britain and Ger
many already existing in Europe
Germany's schemes for exploiting Per-
STA are so menacing to British interests
that they merit serious attention on the
part of his majesty's government
Hitherto Great Britain and Russia have
been the only powers with extensive in
huence at Teheran. North Persia has
been recognized as the Russian sphere Of
influence, and South Persia as the British.
The Angio-R Russian agreement, now prac-
ucally concluded. provides for the re
moval Of future causes Of rivalry in
Persia
Ia British sphere.
This arrangement between Great Britain
and Russia is extremely distasteful TO
Germany. who desires 10 further her own
ends i'm Persia. 1t is significant however
that the commercial development now be-
ginning is TO be confined to South Persia,
and carefully excluded from North Persia.
Tn plain words. this means that the Ger
man government is willing TO pauonize
an invasion by German merchants of the
British sphere Of influence, while carefully
avoiding any action that could give Of
Tense TO Russia. German protestations Of
friendship for England cannot conceal
the fact that the scheme now begun in
Persia with the consent and knowledge
OF the German government is an effort
TO gain footing in "a country adjacent
20 BTitain's Indian empire.
An eminent authority on the Middle
Eastern question has put il on record that
the presence of any military power in
South Persia would be a potential menace
10 India, Viewed in this light the Ger
man commercial invasion appears still
more menacing.
The German Orient Bank was founded
more than "a year ago 10 promote profit
able enterprises in Eastern countries. It's
own capital amounts TO $4,O00000, and its
founders and hackers are three OF the
most powerful Institutions in Germany
rho dresden -
Germany, and the Schanhausen Banking
Association. one OF its directors. Herr
Guttman, jr.. is now at reheran TO begin
practical business operations in Persia.
The plan of campaign has been care
fully worked out. and begins with the
establishment OF a German bank at Te-
heran TO compete with the British and
Russian banks already there. The main
object of this bank viii be TO secure con-
cessions
Commercial Center.
The German Orient Bank will also try
to establish a great commercial center at
the most favorable port on the Persian
Gulf. obtaining a concession of territory
as the site of the necessary buildings.
This would be the headquarters of new
German line of coasting steamships to
distribute to all the Persian ports the
German exports brought TO the chosen
commercial center by the Hamburg
American and other German lines
The steamships of the Hamburg-Amer-
lean Company now plying in the Persian
Gulf undercut their British competitors by
charging s shillings a ton Of freight, as
compared with y shillings ton rate of
the British ships, and st is expected that
"a continuation OF this policy viii drive
the British flag out of the gulf
An audaeious scheme of railway con-
struction, seriously encroaching on Brit
ish rights completes the project of the
German Orient Bank. 1t is stated that one
of these projected German railways, run
ming from Teheran to Bagdad, would earn
profits by simply conveying the corpses
of pious Persians to two holy places
southwark Of Bagdad, where the Persian
MOslems desire t. be buried. Another
projected railway running from Bagdad
eastward and then southwark To the new
German commercial center on the Persian
Gulf. would provide the urgently needed
terminus for the Bagdad railway
Tile German government recently an
pointed a new minister at Teheran. Herr
gStemrich, an expert in Oriental affairs. to
promote German commercial interests in
Persia One of Herr Stemrich's first acts
was 10 recommend an immediate extern
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