Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25

Mohammed All Mira. who was crowned
Shah Of Persia January ID. 1917. was
dethroned July 10. 1909,
Chanoa ~ by the national assembly
and the Crown Prince
onans. Ahmed All Mira was
proclaimed Shah of Shahinshah, or king
of kings. The successor to Mohammed
All Mira is still In his minority and
Azad-ul-Mulk, head of the reigning
Kajar family, has been appointed regent.
The brief reign Of Mohammed All Mira
has been marked by continuous con-
lict with the constitutionalists, and his
complete defeat and final dethronement is
the elimination of situation which was
no longer tenable.
The difficulties which crowded upon
Mohammed All Mira were set forth
very concisely In his proclamation of
June, 1908. when he declared that there
were 7s7 political clubs in Teheran. ali Of
them mixed without method In the ad
ministration of the country.
However true this may be. It Is certain
that Mohammed Ali Mira was a half
hearted reformer only. He swore to de-
fend the constitution and "shoolooked"
or violated his oath and finally separated
himself entirely from the Persian people
by bombarding them and the parliament
It is incontestible that Mohammed Ali
Mirzas failure to govern Persia is not
entirely his own failure; the shadow of
the stranger las much to do with Persian
discomfort 1t may be recalled, in this
connection. that the very day on which
| news of the signing of the Anglo-Russian
agreement in
August 81, 1907, the grand vizier, Emin-
es-Sultanah, was assassnated The grand
vizier was widely known as a partisan of
Russian influence in Persia and his muir
der was accepted as a protest by the
Persian people. When the spheres of Rus
sian and English influence were an
nounced the shah addressed d note to
these governments, in which he declared
that Persia was free and independent
power and that his government main
tanned It's entire liberty of action. For
the people this protest against the en-
croachment upon the sovereignty OF Per-
STA was too mild and ineffective and it
may be repeated that the cause of DIS
content In Persia was not within the di-
rect power of the unhappy shah to REM
edy The shah, it IS not too much to
say. was more sinned against than sim
ming.
*
The shah failed to see the buoy which
| might have saved him his throne. An
appeal to Europe in the
Opportunity emergency would doubt
less have secured the ener-
getic support of the En-
peror of Germany, who has been ambi-
| tious to obtain a political as we'll as
| financial place In Persia. But what the
dethroned shah failed to see the regent,
Azad-ul- MGlk, may see, and make the
appeal for the naturalization Of Persia a
question which quite properly may be
submitted for the undoubted compete
| of The Hague court of arbitration.
There is similarity between the revolu-
ton of the Young Turks in Turkey and
the constitutionalists in Persia. In both
the military elements as Well as the reli-
gious. which hitherto had been more
royaist than the roy''-that is, more re-
actionary-Were predominant. In Turkey
there was Enver Bey and Chefket Pasha
In Persia SipahdaS and SaTdara sad
Khans. leaders of the oonstitutionalists
or nationalist, with a bombarded parlia-
ment. The final dethronement of sultan
and shah mark with special significance
the march Of two revolutions which APP
y,
their aims and their results. The Sultan
Abdul Haalid swere allegiance to the
constitution and violated his oath. and
SO did the Shah Mohammed Ali Mira.
Sultan and shah have been dethroned,
but the constitution remains in Turkey
and In Persia.
Since the bombardment of the Persian
parliament, June %, 1908, Persia has
been In anarchy, and Tabriz and Teheran
have been the centers of sedition and
strife.
From this distance 1t is not clear as to
certain circumstances which have evolved
| the two principal leaders Of the consttu-
tiolnalists. Sipahdar and Sardarasad. who
out OF the apparent hopeless anarchy OF
the last year have established something
like order and government. The Bakh-
tiari tribesmen appear to have consti
tuted the principal element upon which
the nationalist leaders have relied to
eensummate their plans. The Bakhtiari
| may be compared to the Bedouins of
Egypt and are recognized as the valiant
figating race Of Persia.
It appears that Sipahdar and Sardara-
sad diverted the attention of the royalist
commander by feint
Insurgent movement to the west,
e4 while the main body of
oJ nationalistS marched Sc
cretly and swiftly to the north, where, al
most unopposed. they entered Teheran
and using the old parliament building
as basis. occupied and SO strength
ened that part OF the city as TO render
their situation impregnable.
1t is assumed that. this movement,
which would have been foreseen by an
experienced commander. occurred prior to
the command of Gen. Liakoff to whom
the direction of the royalists then pass
ed. It is recalled that for some time
there has been employed in the Persian
army a Russian military mission. under
charge of Col. Lakofr. 1t is under this
mission that the so-called cossacks have
been organized and uniformed, similar TO
the eessarks of Russia.
The British and Russian ministers, with
an acute sense Of apprec' alton Of the
situation in view OF the general uprs-
ing of the Persian people, and the con-
sequeut menace to the stability Of the
Anglo-Russian accord in Persia, urged
the shah to treat with the nationalist,
but the shah would not. Gen. Liakof,
however, feeling the game was UP and
that he could not count upon his Persian
troops. and doubtless acting as well In
accord with the British and Russian
ministers. proposed conditional surren-
der to Sipahdar and Sardarasad. The ma
tionaliSt leaders reDliad that thew were