Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-17

pirtnG Among bhe NEAR ana
Far Nations Of the Earth.
The lesson Of the downfall OF Abdul
Hamid of Turkey. evidently reached Per-
STA too late to show Mohammed Ali Mira
the folly Of his course. From the begin
ming Of his reign two and a half years
ago the shah antagonized every move to-
ward reform, suspended the constitution
his father granted before taking his poi
soned wine, and dlsbanded parliament with
the aid of artillery Mira has the ply
sique and the intellectuals OF a champion
heavy weight prize fighter. To his mind
there is nothing for him to learn about
the game Of despotic government, and
those who attempted to argue or hint that
he was not the whole works were obliged
to flee from Teheran to save their lives.
These fugitives formed the nucleus Of re
bellious subjects, first at Tabriz and later
at Ispahan, where they received active
support and the sinews of war for return
ing the call on the obstinate shah. The
accounts agree that the rebel army has
captured the capital and that the shah
sought refuge in the Russian embassy. 1t
is likely he will share the fate of Abdul,
and became a royal prisoner, Reform and
Observation-Disclosures, llb OuNN"lN hoINN -
the rebellion, but that there are
deeper designs is asserted in many quar-
ters. Many conflicting interests Of trade
and religion are involved, not the least
Of which are the rival intrlgues of Russia
and Turkey, with Great Britain and Ger
many something more than interested
spectators.
THE DareIa - fn1ov rataina only n
shadow Of the power and Importance of
the Persian empire Of history. Its bound
aries are not well defined, but, roughly
speaking, the country is a little more than
twice the size Of the state of Texas. 1t is
mostly a poor country-much of it absolute
desert. It's population is supposed to be
between 100000 and 10, 900. of whom
nearly one-third are wandering tribes, of
which many are out and out b%rigands, with
cattle raising and cattle stealing as sec
ondary means of support. The shah is OF
tire old oriental type of despots, who, by a
word, may dispose Of the lives and for
tunes of their subjects. As is always the
case in countries thus governed, the pow
erty-stricken people are mercilessly taxed
to support the extravaganza of an oriental
court. Teheran has been the capital Of
Persia for something like a century. All
the kings of Khajor dynasty have reigned
there. The city contains many wonderful
examples of Saracen art and architecture,
though it il not nearly SO remarkable a
place in this respect as the ancient cities
of Ispahan and Shiraz. The population is
something in excess of 200, 1000. The city
is walled, with half a hundred magnificent
gates, a large arsenal, troop barracks. won
derful squares and stately avenues. The
great ornate palace with the wealth OF
Persian art and craftsmanship in it forms
the central portion of the city. The city
lies on a plateau some 1000 feet above
the sea. The mountains, only ten miles
away, tower up 5000 feet further.
The German kaiser joins in the chorus
Of peace and good will led by President
Taft on the shores Of Lake Champlain
last week. On that historic occasion the
ambassadors of Great Britain and France
as well as the president voiced earnest de-
sires of their governments for the pro
motion of peace and amity in the old
world as well as in the new. Emperor
William is equally enthusiastic for peace.
In a speech at a dinner on the occasion or
the North German regatta, the emperor
referred to his recent meeting with the
emperor Of Russia and its peaceful import
in these words: Gear Nicholas and l
agreed that our injecting is to be regarded
as a vigorous reinforcement of the cause
of peace. We feel ourselves as monarchs
responsible to our God for the joys and
sorrows of our respective peoples, whom
we desire to lead forward as far as pos
sible on the path Of peace and to raise
them to their full development. All peoples
need peace in order under its protection
to fulfill undisturbed the duties of civil
zation for their economic and commercial
development. We will both therefore con-
tinually endeavor, as far as lies in our
power, to work with Gods help for the
furtherance and maintenance of peace
AS a means Of emphasizing these peace
full expressions, each government is dill
gently preparing for the worst by levying
new taxes to provide increased armament.
An observing American traveller, writing
to the Springfield CMass) Republican, Of
the present condition Of public life In
France, says: France is the land of de-
fiant disobedience. 1t has made all sorts
of experiments, some sadly disastrous, in
government and social life. But today 1t
is a free and democratic country ahead of
Germany in experience. 1t has all on
AEIlcIlNd , hdNGlul HolN9 Ailo UNIV "
mistaking license for liberty and permit
ting the general public to suffer from the
unregulated wantonness Of individuals. But
It realizes this, There is in France today
a large percentage of very thoughtful and
sober people who have reflected long upon
the lessons of French history, and who
have profited by the bitterness OF Water
loo, Sedan and the rest. These people have
been completely disillusionized as to mill
tary glory. They see the hollowness of
les idees Napoleoniennes.' They never
will go back to monarchy or Imperialism,
and yet they suffer keen shame from the
inefficiency of the republic, National vanity
has given place to a chastened spirit, but
not TO a cowardly nor a reactionary one.
They realize that a long and painful way
lies before them which must be trodden
patiently until France has solved her prob
lens. Fearful has been the agony Of
breaking away from the union Of church
and state, for France is Catholic She
never will be Protestant. But at last the
separation has been effected. No one can
call France a decadent nation. Compared
! 80 a III .HN - l. -a- - .