Arizona republican., 1914-06-21
ENCROACHMENT
 IF THE BEAR
Proposal to Extend Rus sian Military Influence in Northern Persia by a Numerical Increase of the Cossack Brigade

ST. PETERSBURG, June 20.-Ne gotiations are under way between Russia and Persia on the ques
 tion of an increase of the Per
 sian Cossack brigade These notor ious troops were established in 1879 by the Shah Masr edBin as the re suit of his voyage through the Cau casian province of Erivan, during which he was struck by the fine and
 rich appearance of the Russian cos sacks who acted as his escort. At the time the British had been negotiating with the Russian gov
 ernment for the dispatch of instruc- ! tors for the projected Persian caval- ry, but the Shah's personal infatua ton with the Russian Cossacks made an end to the British scheme, and the task was entrusted to Russian off oers under the command of a col 1 onel of the general staff named De-
 montovich. At first the brigade did not count more than 500 men, then it rose to 1000, and by the year 1910 it became a respectable force of $500 men, divided into four cavalry regiments, two companies of infan- try, two mounted batteries and two sections of machine guns.
 The men are fo- the most part just recruited from Persian nomads, in cluding Shahahevans and Kurds, but there is as we'll a sprinkling Of Turkonans and Afghans- They are commanded by Russian and native
 officers. The former number 2S com missioned and 63 non- n-commissioned officers; the latter 270 men, and the whole is under the command of Russian colonel. who is assisted by Persian general. Of course, the real commanders are the Russians, who also get a much superior salary Thus the colonel gets from the Per sian government about $4,500, and the Russian officers $2,5O0 year | each, while the Persian general only gets $500. In addition, however, the Russian officers, commissioned as well as non commissioned draw their 1 usual pay from the Russian exche- | quer, and their pay as well as the maintenance of the brigade in gen.
 eral are formally and officially se-
 cured on the customs revenue of the northern republic.
 | It is needless to say that this bri- l gade has throughout been a powerful | instrument of the Russian influence | In Persia. The part played by it l during the revolution, and especially cn that historical day, June 23, 1908, ] of the bombardment of the Mejlis, will no doubt still be fresh in the lpublic mind. AS matter not mere 1 ly of fact but also of contract, the
 brigade is only responsible to the
 shah, and stands quite apart from
 the regular government and the min
 ister of war. Its colonel remains an 1 officer in the Russian army, acts, | therefore, under the direction of the | Russian legation at Teheran, and ob-
 tains his salary as well as the pay | for his subordinate through the | Russian bank. He also reports di-
 rectly to the Viceroy of the Cau- | casus.
 l What the Russians are at present
 anxious about is to extend the use- | fitness of the brigade from Teheran, l tO NulcH IL ndS HllHeTlO been DrdcIl- 1 cally confined, over tke entire Rus
 sian zone of influence in the north | A beginning was made in this direc- tion last year, when a detachment of
 1t under Captain Zapolsky was sent | to restore order at Hamadan. and a
 series of posts were placed between
 Hamadan and Kermanshah, which
 ensured the safety of the Kerbella | pilgrims. But this function. if regu
 l2rly discharged, would obviously be
 beyond the present numerical capaci
 ty of the brigade, and, in addition
 would clash with the duties allotted
 t" the Swedish gendarmeris. The
 Russians accordingly insist that moi
 only should the strength of the bri-
 Sade be increased, but also that tht
 service of the Swedish gendermeri. should be confined to the south leaving the Russian zone of influenc in the hands of the brigade But th Tehe-an government has so far re sisted this demand, and has been try Ing to secure the help of British di plomacy against the elimination q the Swedish gendarmeris from tn north.