Evening star., 1908-01-12
THE PERSIAN SITUATION TENSE.

a party of malcontents has apparently
taken sides with the shah. and has prom
ised to act pacificator between parma
ment and sovereign.
Now there is a breach between parlia-
ment and a large part of the population
because of the formers hasty legislation.
The suppression and suspension of pen
sions has also caused a strong current
of hostility to parliament. Finance was
thus unfortunately confounded with poll
tics and has created a counter action.
A writer in the Fortnightly Review for
October, writing of the situation in Persia
as a result of the Anglo-Russian agree
ment said:
NO chauvinist among us has ever ad-
vocated interference in northern Persia
for imperialist reasons. Is II actually
proposed that We shall carry out upon
humanitarian grounds this extravagant
extension of our sphere of influence? II
would make war an ultimate certainty.
and would place us. separated from our
Indian and naval bases by vast deserts
and wilu mountain chains, in hopeless
strategical position from which even the
military madness of a Cambyses might
recol.
Are we to threaten suicidal hostilities
for an impossible object from the mill
tary point of view In the idea of keeping
up in Persia constitutional regime
which we cannot esta blish in India or
Egypt? Are we to urge the Persians TO
ucSti uStLoi 40 We VI SCN lLc ciSop ihS
Magyars. the Armenians. with no in
tention OF lifting a finger when forlorn
resistance follows our incitements?'
It is believed adds the author of the
foregoing, that the settlement negotiated
between N. Isvolsky and
Partition Sir Edward Grey provides
EHected for the sovereignty of the
shah, the independence OF
his dominions and the open door to both
powers. Similar formulas are observed
in Egypt. They have their value.
for 1t is extremely difficult to sup
press the forms of national existence
without strong and urgent reasons. New
ertheless. for all practical purposes the
partition of Persia has been morally
effected The northern provinces. in
cluding, of course, Teheran. are aban-
doned to the influence of the car. 1t
s not too much to say that Nicholas
Ii becomes the suzerain Of Mohammed
Ali Mira
The authors Of a Joint article in the
Perceval Landon and Mr.. Angus Hamil-
ton, give their views Of the Anglo-Rus-
sian agreement at length and with special
reference to the situation in the Persian
gulf. Mr.. Landon says:
contrary Sir Edward Grey has uncon-
sciously taken pains to emphasize the
fact-the Russians have point blank re-
fused to insert into the agreement the
slightest recognition Of the continued su-
premacy of Great Britain in the Persian
gulf. The threat is as clear as the dou-
bling of the Siberian track.
Mr.. Landon, in brief, declares that the
one vital spot in all Asia, of British in
terests, Is in the Persian gulf. That
int fo IN ha fS
tain, and he wants to know why England
went out of her way Ito invite her doom
to the gulf" The immediate price paid
for the Anglo-Russian convention is the
Bagdad to Teheran, the second from
Karun to 1spahan. and the third from
Bushire through Shraz to the same Rus
sian:zed terminus. robbing England thus
of commerce and trade in the great cities
Of Ispahan and Yezd, and the author con-
cludes that by this unfortunate conven-
tiol such are the results. and he adds:
"It has long been a saying that II we
ever lose India it will be lost on the floor
of the house OF commons.
India From today that much
Manao.d abused institution may at
least rejoin that our au-
thority in India is less likely to be i'm
periled by the interference of private
members of parliament than by the gross
ignorance of chiefs and clerks alike at
the foreign Office
The National Review for December con-
tains an article on THE Position In the
Persian Iulf," by Mr.. Lovat Frazer.
The author commences by declaring that
two questions are closely associated with
the present problem of the Persian gulf
fha Ra sria6 railway and the AnYlO-RuS-
sian agreement. He starts with the visit
Of the German emperor to England as
renewal of interest in the great Teutonic
adventure in Asiatic Turkey" Germany
IS making. or perhaps had already made.
a renewal bid for the cooperation of
Great Britain in he- efforts to penetrate
Mesopotamia with steel rails and locomo-
tives. The German commission, headed
by Herr Stemrich, visited koweit in 1900
He was sent to Teheran last year as Ger
man minister, and his recent selection as
under secretary of state for foreign af-
fairs is p-oof that Germany aims to
maintain her interests in the middle east.
The author of the above mentioned ar
ticle refers to the agreement thus: 1.-THE
agreement is signed and we must make
the best Of it. What happens in the gulf
affects India. Any decision which infiu-
9nces unfavorably our hold upon India is
matter that affects our whole imperial
policy. and few yet realize even dimly
how affairs in India are going to inf1u-
ence all our external policy beyond Great
-itain in the years that lie ahead. We
have often been invited to picture what
might happen II Russia created new
Port Arthur at Bunder Abbas.''
X
*+
The author declares that there Is an
other important point in the gulf ques-
ton, and that point is Tur-
turkeys key. Having come to a
Position better understanding with
Russia, England should
seek to better her relations at Constanti-
nople. Bin Savod, who now controls
Nejd. has made his peace with the sultan:
But" adds the author, 'ff he were sure
that Turkey could not be reinforced by
sea he would soon make himself master
of the whole littoral from Musalamiyah to
the pirate coast. Then we would see
great Arab kingdom in eastern Arabia
with access to the sea and looking to
Great Britain for support"
The suggestion at this time Is unfortu-
nate. because 1t will recall to the disinter-
asted locke -on that Great Britain has
been charged with fomenting strife in the
emen as one OF the means to embarraSS
the construction of the Bagdad railway
The latest phase o the situation in Per-
sia is the rumor that France has been
asked to send an inspector to Teheran to
raorganlze and establish Persian finances
upon solid basis. Such action, needless
TO add, would prove a challenge to Ger
many's ambitions in the same direction
The country along the Persian gulf has
fa6 INV tt0