The Washington herald., 1912-01-12
RUSSLA'S HAND
LAID ON PERSIA

1 Oeen COmLnlIleQs no more DIuhoi o"N
provoked attack has been made on an
inofrensive people struggling amidst
thousand difficulties and impediments TO
enter upon the path Of progress ana re- :
| form than that on which Russia now 10
engaged in Persia.
That Russia should be guilty OF such
crime will astonish no one who Is talnll-
lar with her record in the past But
| what is astonishing is that Engisno'
who prides herself in her love OF JUS
tice and fair play, should not merely
stand by and do nothing, but shoulo
actively aid and even applaud this mon
strous action, and that under her pres
| ent government which processes hoerdi
principles. In fact, II the truth must
| be confessed, those who are Responsible
for Britain's foreign policy within the
past several months have done more 10
annIhllate the few remaining independ-
ent Mussulman states than any policy
pursued by any other European country.
By words and deeds Sir Edward Grey
| the British foreign secretary, has an
nounced that he will do anything to
crafty France and Russia-meaning' OF
course, to maintain the triple entente
as an offset TO the "dreibund. Al
ready at the risk of a calamitous war
with Germany he has placed France in
| possession Of Morocco without benent'
| but, on the contrary, with injury 10
British commerce. And now, at not less
risk and even with less Justihcauon'
| Sir Edward Is preparing to put RUSSIA
in possession OF more than one-half OF
the most prosperous, fertile, ana pro-
gressive half OF Persia.
When the Anglo Russian agreement
was entered into in 1907, Persia was SOL
emnly assured that no menace to her
| independence was contained therein.
repeat the concluding words:
THE object of the two powers in max
ing this agreement is not in any way to
attack. but rather to secure forever
the independence OF Persia. Not only
do they not wish to have at hand any
excuse for intervention, but their OBJ
ject I'm these friendly negotiations was
not to allow one another to intervene
on the preteXt of safeguarding their In
terests. The two powers hope that In
future Persia will be forever delivered
from the fear OF foreign Intervention,
and will thus be perfectly free 10 man
age her affairs in her own way, where
by advantage will accrue both to herself
and to the whole world.
This promise was given by the British
representatives at Teheran to the Per
sian government at THAT time. and never
has promise been more fagrantly viO-
lated.
1t is useless to recall the long series
OF intrigues whereby since that time
Russia has sought to cmbaTrass the Per-
sian government Let US consider the
second conspicuous violation of solemn
promise given in writing by the Russian
and British representatives to Persia.
speak OF article > of the protocol refer
Ing TO the deposition of the former Shah.
signed August -. 1850. by the Russian
and British ministers at Teheran and by
the representatives, Of the Persian gov
ernment:
The two representatives undertake TO
give his majesty Mohammed Ali Mira
strict injunctiOns to abstain in future
from all political agitation against Per-
sid and the imperial Russian govern
ment promise on their side TO take all
effective steps In order to prevent any
such agitation on his part &C.
Less than two years after the signing
Of this protocol the former Shah, having
left Odessa and intrigued with his sup
porters al half the capitals OF Europe.
returned to Persia in a Russian ship
absolutely true-with arms and ammu-
milton that passed through the Russian
customs under the description of min |
eraI waters" and supported by the un-
disguised sympathy Of Russian Official |
circles made an attempt. which failed. |
but which cost the Persian government |
much money. trouble. and anxiety. to |
regain his throne. His general. Arshad- !
ud-Dawla, who was taken prisoner and |
shot, described his interview with the |
Russian Ambassador at Vienna in the |
London Times. who. though he refused /
to aid the enterprise or lend money to |
defray the expenses It involved, added:
But, on the other hsnd. the field is |
clear. II We can do nothing for YOU. we |
equally will do nothing against you"
II is now reported that the ex-Shah is |
To join the Russian army advancing on |
TeheTan, and that Russia intends to re- |
establish him on the throne Of Persia. |
Does history furnish any instance OF |
more cynical contempt for solemn |
promise?
Is the end at hand?
Russia has acted after her kind, as she
always has acted. and always will act. so
long as her government remains such as
Il is She will destroy and grind under
foot another nation worthy OF better
fate: she will add Persia to the list Of
her victims; she has committed another
crime against humanity. But at least she
has got what she wanted.
But what Of England? Obsessed by
Germanophobia, Sir Edward Grey has
been as weak as water before Russia's
steady pressure. and has been the ac-
CompIice Of all her actions. He has al
lowed Russia TO involve England in every
breach OF faith which she has committed,
50 that we appear TO the world as Rus
sia's willing tool
What is to happen now? VIII Sir Ed
ward Grey, in spite Of his recent decla-
rations that the British Empire seeks no
wider responsibilities, occupy Southern
Persia as Russia will almost inevitably
occupy the North, and so give England
for the first time in her history long
indefensible Land frontier conterminous
with that OF a first-class European mill
tary power? Or will he endeavor. at this
ment Of a mutilated but independent Per-
sia in the South? Or will he continue
10 follow his policy Of implicit trust in
Russia's good faith? Russia has flagrant-
ly broken faith with Persia because Per-
sia is weak and she is strong; when she
finds England weak-in other words.
when in trouble elsewhere-wiIl Russia
not break faith with England In turn.
and advance to her real objective, the
Persian Gulf?
The ''Novoje wremlya," the official
organ Of the st. Petersburg cabinet, re-
Gently had this to say:
One Of the roads by which II Is pos
sible TO reach the open ocean lies through
Persia, but this does not imply that we
wish 10 absorb the Shah's dominions."
More than that, the aIl-powerful Bourse
Gazette, the mouthpiece OF the great
hnanciers OF the capital by the Neva,
the head and brains of which the senior