Evening star., 1909-05-16


shed! Shades of Darius and Xerxes!
An amusing episode Of the December
coup-d'etat has been told in the European
press. When the shah appointed cabi-
mander Of the Khorassan troops. as
chief. one Of the first acts of Nizam was
to attempt to get rid OF the strongest
man Of the opposition, Zill-es-Sultan.
Nizam, accompanied by friend. went
himself to deliver the order to depart and
refolded it and placed 1t In his pocket.
Your answer" asked Nizam NO an
swer." replied Zill. ut is an odd kind
Of letter to send me. My daughters
Grafton for appendicitis. Besides. l am
an old man and cannot travel at this
season.. Nizam the warrior grew bold
and was angered. You are charged
with abetting his majesty's foes" Zill-
es-Sultan trembled with indignation.
which Nizam mistook for fear. "The
plain fact Is" said Nizam. Il have come
to exDel you from the kingdom" Zili
whipped out revolver and leveling II at
Nizam, said: ''Son of a burned father.
illegitimate offspring. son of dog, You
have come to take me away! Well. take
this unsteady Nizam swooned, and Zill-
es-Sultan caused the brave Nzam to be
thrown into the street.
:, There Is progress even in Persia A few
years ago that same Zill-es-Sultan caused
merchant to be killed
Some and his heart presented to
As him on a plate because
the man had dared write
to the shah to be excused from paying
tribute to Zill.
The Persians do not rebel; they have a
word which is q sort of compromise
''Shoolook" means to turn things upside
down. 1t cannot be said to be harmless,
but 1t Is not revolution, according to the
Persian code.
The shah has sworn to defend the con-
stitution; more than once he "shoolooked"
violated his oath-and finally ended By
bombarding and literally knocking his
mejlfss into cooked hat
Europe first turned its attention to Per-
STA at the end of the eighteenth GEN.
tury. when the shah. Mohammed Khan.
impressed by the success of the French
arms. requested a military mission of
French officers to instruct the Persian
army. This mission remained in Persia
from 1877 under the orders Of Gen. Gar
dame until after the treaty OF Tilsitt in
1907.
England sent diplomatic mission un-
der Sir Hartford Jones, which concluded q
treaty with Persia about the same time.
Subsequently. as the result Of war with
Russia, Persia ceded Georgia, Baku, Shir-
van. Sheki. CANA, Talish, Moghan and
Karabagh.
Again in 1925 war was declared be-
tween Russia and Persia, and terminated
by the treaty in 1928 of Turkmantchai. in
which Persia ceded to the victor Erivan
of 100000 francs. with the remuneration
Of her right to have vessels Of war on the
Caspian sea.
In 1856 England declared war against
Persia and the latter was forced to sur
render Herat to the Afghanistans In
1857. Russia, England and Germany in
turn have established banks In Teheran, a
modern system which European states
now employ In order to secure q footing
or absorb a feeble state.
The situation of Persia and the struggle
for the possession of the Persian gulf
have been the reasons for the rivalry be-
tween England and Russia, and this
rivalry has recently extended to Ger
many. which has entered the lists with
the assumed purpose Of competing for
the prize.
The Anglo-Russian accord, dated Sep
tember 8. 1907. concludes with these
words: 1.-THE object Of the
England and two powers in concluding
p,,.,. this accord Is not in any
way to attack. but to as
sure for all time the independence Of
Persia The two powers not only do not
seek q pretext for Intervention. but the
object Of these friendly negotiations Is to
prevent either one or the other from in
terferfng under pretext of protecting its
interests. The two powers hope that In
the future Persia will be forever freed Of
be free to direct her own affairs as they
may wish, from which will result ad-
vantages for her and the world besides"
Mohammed ALI Mirza's 8 task OF govern
ing Persia is not a sinecure. and the
monarch merits much considera ton by
reason OF the spirit Of discomfort which
existed prior to his accession to the
throne. Some idea Of the difficulties OF
his position may be appreciated when 1t
Is understood that in Teheran alone there
are 7S7 political clubs!
The shah in his proclamation Of June.
1908, made the following significant dec
laratfon: Every one may remark the
innumerable political clubs which, with
out method. mix themselves in the admin
istration of the country. 1t has thus
become impossible for the government to
assure the march Of affairs which have
been appropriated by those who pretend
to direct them according to their ideas.
and which may produce. as q consequence,
dissolve parliament and order new cleo
tions within three months"
The question Of the Bagdad railway, of
which little has been said of late, has
nevertheless occupied large place in the
speculations as to the action Of the pow
ers directly interested. Persia is destined
to become the grand route to India, as
she was In ancient times. Russia, when
sufficiently recovered from the shock of
her revolution. will inevitably SEEK in the
development Of her relations. the extern
sion of her railway lines from the north;
in the Trans-Caucasia to the Persian
gulf and the Gulf OF Oman. England
will seek to establish herself in her own
interests in like manner.
~
Meanwhile Persia, the plateau Of Iran,
will have become the point of converg-
ence and concentration Of
Railways the railway systems of
Russia and England. The
70 Hee'' Trans-Caucasian, Trans
Caspian and Trans-Persian, which COM
municate by an uninterrupted line from
Europe to farthest Asia, will constitute
Persia the crossroads OF nations. This pro-
spective may satisfy the present aspira-
tions of Russia and England, but it does
not solve the Persian question. Moreover,
it makes no provision or place for Ger
many and Turkey, both Of which powers
have interests and aspirations in the Bag
dad railway. whose projected terminus is
on the Persian gulf.
The situation is difficult, but not hone
less. The only solution that presents
itself at this moment lies in the neutrali-
zation both Of Turkey and Persia for
their better protection in the first pJace