Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-15

er, that he has grit to spare, and
those who know him say that in the
long, run his grit will eXtricate him
from. any mess he may have gotten
himself into.
He can lay especial claim TO the
title of a self-made man. His AGA
demic education was received in the
Central High School of Washington,
where he made himself bit above
the level by being leader Of nearly
every branch of student activities.
He was colonel of the cadet regiment,
class president, and captain Of the
football team, and then gave prece-
dent setback by being graduated at
the head of his class. After leaving
school he took up the study of law
in the office of Calderon Carlisle. a
lawyer of international practice,
studied stenography, and went to
the lectures on law at Columbian
University, now known as George
Washington University.
After the Spanish war, young Shus-
ter was stenographer to the commits
sion charged with supervising the
evacuation Of Cuba. In the course
of this work he picked up some Span
ish and made himself liked by his
superiors, and was appointed collec-
tor of Cuban customs under the pro-
tective regime-fair going for a
young un barely of age. His work
came under the eye of Elihu Root,
then Secretary Of War, and in 1901,
when Mr.. Shuster was twenty-four,
Root sent him to Manila to do the
same work he had done in Cuba.
There he won additional laurels
and became superintendent Of public
instruction and a member OF the
Commission at the age OF
30. In 1909 he returned when the
got next to his health, stud
led law and began practice in Wash
ington. Last winter when President
Taft was asked by the Persian gov
eminent to recommend man to re-
that country's finances, he
to Persia and 10 ShuSter
that they could probably come TO
terms
Persia had just emerged from the
darkness of the Middle Ages into
the light OF civilization as constitu
'tional kingdom The prospect of
playing big part in the regencra-
ton of this ancient country was too
much for Shuster to withstand. 1t.
10 him more than practicing
law in hum-drum. Goth century Wash
ington. He turned his business over
to his partner, made a three years
contract with the Persian government.
and set out for Teheran with his
family.
With him he took four other young
most OF whom he had
known in Cuba and the Philippines
F. S. Cairns, rs director of taxa
ton; Charles |. McCaskey, as inspec-
tor of provincial revenue; Ralph w.
Hills. as chief OF the auditing and
systems; and Bruce G..
Dickey. as inspector Of taxation. BY
the terms Of this agreement. Shuster
found himself invested with virtually
powers. At once he made
it known that he considered himself
the sole head of the country's econ
omic system.
He also let il he known that he
Persia and Independent
and that he would refuse
TO recognize eXtra-territorial rights
Of European powers, spheres of in
tluence, dominance of consuls, and all
the other rigamarole with which Rus
STA, Great Britain. Belgium. and 9th
err European countries were trying
to check the spirit of progress in
Persia, so that it might remain de-
cadent and prey to their political
designs. He humbled Mornard, the
Belgian collector OF customs, who
disputed with Shuster the right to
sign government checks; he snubbed
the Russian minister: openly charg-
ed the Russian government with
conniving at the attempted revolution
last summer. headed by the deposcd
Shah. who is Il Russian pensioncr.
and then made matters worse by ac-
tually claiming the right TO collcc.
Persian taxes as he chose. without
Russian consular agents.
it was no more than TO be expected
that a man who adopted such a stand
would strike big trouble. As long
ago as 1907. Great Britain and Rus
STA by a convention divided Persia be-