Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-20

eminent In the aHdlfS OF
British that country, as an
rr+.r.s+ nounced IN the note OF
A"'eAes'' October Is by Sir Ed
ward Grey. which has provoked much
hostile comment In Berlin and CONSTANT
nopie.
Persian unrest, 1t may be recalled
dates from the revolutionary manifesta-
tons in the cities Of Ispahan, Taoriz
and Chiraz in 1903. This unrest was
accumulated In 1905 by the excitement
Of orientals generally over the results OF
Japanese victories. and which culminat-
ed in a proclamation by the shah in 1913
according a constitution to Persia.
England and Russia signed conVen-
ton in 1907 by virtue OF which they
ascribed to themselves certain spheres
Of influence i'm Persia. Englands sphere
was limited by line connecting hash-
isherin. Ispahan. Yezd and Khaki to the
junction of the Persian. Russian and
Afghanistan frontiers. Russias sphere
mentioned. The assassination OF Atabeg
Assam or Grand Vizier Ennin-es-Sultaneh
on the day Of the signature OF the con-
vention was a protest OF the people
against this violation of Persia's terri
tory.
1t is recalled in view Of the present
disorders on the Bushire-Chiraz route
that a writer in the Fortnightiy Review
for November. 1907. said:
THE Immediate price paid for the
Anglo Russian convention Is the closing
of the trade routes. one from Bagdad to
Teheran, the second from kazvin TO
Ispahan. and the third from Bushire to
Chiraz, to the same Russianized terminus.
roSbing England thus OF commerce and
trade in the great cities Of Ispahan and
Yezd."
In January: 1908. the Persian situation
was tense. There was revolution IN the
country and in parliament war between
constitutionalism and absolutism On
June % the conflict had become SO vio-
lent that the shah. having turned his
guns against parliament. nrst oomoaraeo
popular discomfort was what Japan had
done in the far east in successfully re-
sisting Russia. and just then, as now, the
Anglo-Russian agreement.
-
Mohammed Ali Mira succeeded his
father, Muzzaffer- Din. and was crown
ed shah in 1907. During
Ali Mirza's his troubled reign the Per-
sian situation was again
nei6A' tense. The parliament
which had been bombarded and dissolved
was renewed in 1900. Dethroned July 49,
Mohammed Ali Shah was succeeded by
the Crown Prince Ahmed Ali Mira, who
being in his minority. Azad-ul-Mulk. head
Of the reigning Kajar family. was ap-
pointed regent.
There was something pathetic in the
futile efforts of Mohammed Ali Shah to
stay the tide with which he found him
self unable to cope. In his proclamation
Of June 1908 he declared that among the
difficulties which confronted him there
were 1871 political clubs in Teheran. all Of
them mixed, without method In the adj
ministration of the country
Since the bOmbardment OF parliament
in 1908 Persia had become q prey to an
archy and Tabriz and Teheran were the
centers Of sedition and strife. Russia adj
dressed q circular note to the powers re-
ferring to the situation at Tabriz, where
the insurgent constitutionalists were be-
sieged by the shah.s troops. The Rus
slams under Gen. Snarsky reached Tabrix
April o. 1909. AS soon as order was re-
stored and the lives Of the consular repre-
sentatives, Russian and foreign subjects,
were secured the Russian troops were to
be withdrawn. But Russia has remained
and persists in ignoring the appeal of the
Persian government. which maintained.
Persia when foreign troops are no longer
encamped upon her soil and when the
spheres Of foreign influence no longer cast
their shadows upon Persian autonomy
ana lnOepeuOeuCe.
Some time in May. 1910. the German
government lodged protests IN London
and ST. Petersburg against
German the pretensions of these
governments which had
fIoteSt. notified Persia that ''she
should not grant railway concessions to
Germany
Referring to the British note Of Octo-
Der 10, the London Outlook OF October 20
expresses the opinion that 1.-The note is
wholly unsatisfactory and evasive." 1t
urges that Persia should be given the
money necessary to do what is asked,
namely, to keep the peace along the trade
routes. II Persia does not heed the ad-
vice then England would do what Russia
had done in the north. Any talk Of d.
viding up Persia with Russia was sheer
nonsense For the protection Of Indian
trade in Persia something should be done.
Moreover" adds the Outlook. Persia
ment. been regarded in India with tender
solicitude as afiording an excellent means
of delivering a flank attack upon posi-
BILE Russian advance.
Despite Persia's protests, Russia occu-
pies three important places-Tabriz. Kaz-
win and Ardebil. Russia, whatever her ul-
terror object. is at present seeking loot.
She desires the concession Of a copper
mine in the Karadagh district not far
from the Russo-Caucasian frontier. Be-
Sides she is seeking the concession OF q
motor car service on the Russian road
from Recht on the Caspian to the Persian
capital.
England invites attention in the note to
Persia of the insecurity which reigns in
the south OF Iran and the urgent neces-
sity of establishing order there. The Brit
ish foreign Office. in accord with Russia
on all points. had concluded that il with
in three months order had not been re-
established England would create a Per-
sian police force. composed by preference
of natives Of the Bakhtiaris, commanded
by English officers Of the Indian army,
who would be paid by a tax upon the GUS
toms receipts in the Persian gulf.
The government at Teheran replying
October %. maintained that the insecurity
OF the trade routes cited
PerSia'S in the note was due to
Reply. placed ' tbsmse,ye. under
the protection Of foreign legations; fur
thermore, Persia could not admit that
I'm Slish of3cers shoul6 exercise command