The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-09
RUSSIAN ARMY
FOR ELEVEN MEN
w. Morgan Shuster, Persia S
Treasurer-Geneal,
Explains
SEEKING PRETEXT
FOR QUARRELING
Finally Cossacks Are Sent
to Expel a Handful of
Quiet, Faithful
Americans

TEHERAN, Dec. S.--Editor Inter-
national Service. New York:
l thank you for your expressions
Of sympathy from my countrymen
conveyed in your telegram.
Ny attitude 10 that, as / and my
American assistants have faithfully
performed our contracts with the
Persian government. whose legislature
recently gave striking proof of their
aatiAfaotion and confidence In US by
. unanimous public vote given in
the faoe OF threatened destruction OF
their sovereignty by an immensely
superior force, must In honor con-
tinue to abide BY their Wishes.
Tho fact Il the Russian opposition
10 our engagement started before our
arrival. and after being here q week
II was freely stated IN diplomatic cir
mai ntwo months A hostile stand
was therefore shown by this power
before We could posibly have offend
ed any foreign interest.
Tho much discussed Anglo Russian
agreement Of 1907. which the powers
suggested that I. as Persian treas
urer general. should recognize. al
though the Persian government had
officially informed them she did not
recognise. Is now being openly vio-
lated by the powers themselves.
Prceexts Not Lacking.
My plan for the construction Of
railroads by the Persian government
following the best commercial and
economic tines. instead q proposing
lines recognising so-called spheres Of
parliament would never do. deter
mined the powers to oppose me in
every possible manner. Pretexfs were
never hacking. but the ones actually
chosen were false and absurd.
The whole difficulty has been that
the Americans have been unwilling
to esrvs n staiking horses tor the
Anglo Russian plan to undermine
Persian integrity.
have always carefully recognised
m legitimate foreign interests. hav-
ing made a careful study Of ths re-
cent political history OF Persia. In
Guiding the Anglo Russian agreem emit.
and contemporansous Official corras-
pondence.
The truth IL tho powers wish 10 ny
one thing to the world and Persia,
while secretly acting qauite differently,
Any Persian official not subservient to
this IL regarded ~ an enemy to their
interests
Challenges Cf4t3cA
have frequently CHALLENGED my
critics to show . single act Of mine
in violation Of legitimate Ansio- Rus
sian interests. My principal fault In
their eyes has been my bona flde ef-
fort to upbuild Persian fiances ana
my LOYALTY to the constitutional gov
eminent.
Russia daily Informs the powers she
has no designs on ePrsia's fndepend-
enoe and INTEGRITY: the4eforN her
army Of our thousand men actually
on Teheran In directed SOLE
~ towards the forcible expulsion OF
elevent American citizens now salts
factorfly serving q friendly soversixn
nation.
Act In WanNon.
Russia has not declared war. n pro-
vfded by The Haxue convention Of
which she was . signaSory and prom
inent promoter. Her move. therefore,
constitutes q wanton act OF hostility
against American citizens ENJOYING
the rights and protection accorded
them by q friendly state. recognised
today ~ SOVEREIGN by America. Rus
MA. England and other powers hAv-
Ing their legations here. n II plain
violation Of international law, really
q raidin9 party.
Naturally. Russia's sending 4 large
armed force here to exrei the Amer
teams constitute . virtual invitation
to numerous bad characters from tho
caucasus to do them bodily harm,
IN the belief. justified or not that
they would thereby regain the favor
and protection Of their government
(Signed) W. MORGAN SINISTER.