Evening star., 1911-08-27

war and the shedding of the blood of
thousands of human beings-involving
several of the greatest powers in the
world. But recent advices from Persia
and the continent show a fgurative pic
ture of the Russian bear on one side OF
Persia, growing at the English lion on
the other, with little Belgium in between,
taking a bite first out of one and then
the other, with the Americans acting as
a sort of buffer between the three.
With his three American assistants, W.
Morgan Shuster has once again demon
strated that peculiar American quality.
the ability to handle problems of world
magnitude without the twitch of an eye
lash The game he is playing now. how
ever, is just a little different from any he
has ever played before. In the orient,
where he was one of the members of the
Philippine commission, he had to deal
with oriental people. but with the power
OF the United States behind him. In his
present position he is simply an Amerf-
can citizen holding a position under a
foreign government. Whether this for
eign government has sufficient staying
power to nelp him carry out the program
OF reorganization is the problem he is up
against.
England has for a century or more sent
administrators and advisers abroad to
better the governments or finances of less
powerful nations. and to bring the bless
ings of occidental civilization to smaller
groups Of humanity. One finds even to-
day in Abyssinia, in Borneo and other
far-away places Englishmen as the right
hands of kings, sultans and rajahs
Now it Is Americas turn. The Yankee
has for more than a score Of years been
the most needed of the mikado's foreign
counselors- He drew the Japanese stip-
ulations in the peace of Portsmouth treaty
with Russia Homer Lea, Californian,
drilled the Chinese army. William
Straight. an american journalist. handled
China's interest In great foreign rail
road loan. FNulliam, an American collects
the customs dues of Santo Domingo. And
now II is W. Morgan Shuster, the man of
the hour in Persia.
MIR. Shuster's first troubles in Persia
were with one of the most powerful
chiefs of the administration and with the
Russian and Belgian interests, which
combined to break his power. Thus far
the American has more than held his
own.
Following this came the news that Mo-
hammed Ali Mira, the deposed Shah of
Persia. had recruited an army and was
marching on the capital. The people of
Teheran were teTror-stricken, and the
supporters of the new constitutional
regime were considering plans for seeking
safety in flight, when the American was
called on for advice. His spirit immedi-
ately became contagious. and Teheran is
today bustling with plans for defense as
II has not before in centuries
Three other Americans are assisting Mr..
Shuster. the treasurer general, in rehabil-
itating the finances of the country-F. S.
CairDs, Charles l. McCaskey and Bruce
G. Dickey Persia, with less than 10000
Uoo population. 2,OOOOO0 being npmadic
Arabs. Turks. Kurds and Lexis, has a
debt of about 10000. 900, more than half
OF which Is due to Russian interests This
is the knotty problem young America is
expected to clear UP with satisfaction to
all nations concerned.
Persia, under young Ahmed Mira, who