The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-13
DAzED The GUESTS
The Grand Vizier's Speech at the
Gridron Club Dinner.
FAIRLY BLAZED WITH ABUSE.

1t Looked Very Much Like the Markings
of "a Bully Row." but the Surprising
Climax Averted All Danger of DipIo-
! matte Complications.
| In January, 1904, Mirza Ali Asgar
| Khan, former grand yizier of Persia,
was making trip around the world
and was booked to sail to Europe from
| New York. His attendance at the
| Gridiron club dinner in Washington
| was announced in the newspapers.
What happened at hat banquet is
thus dramatically described by Arthur
Wallace Dunn in his book, "Gridiron
! Nights"
| The grand @izier came in late, after
| the dinner had been in progress for
time, and was accompanied by Scott
c. Bone OF the Washington Post, his
host of the evening. Before taking his
| seat, directly in front of the president
of the United States, he bowed low to
that official and then made sweep
| ing salaam to the assembled company.
| Senator Beveridge was introduced
and shook hands William II. Taft.
then governor general of the Philip
| pines, who had crossed the ocean on
the same ship with the grand viZier.
| walked across the dining room and
/ shook hands, expressing his pleasure
| at seeing him again. Senators Aldrich
German and Hanna and Speaker Can
| non, sitting near by, were introduced.
After the dinner had progressed for
| time President Louis A. Coolidge in
| troduced the oriental guest as one who
| had journeyed far and who came that
| night with views he had gathered in
his travels.
| Mira Ali Asgar Khan, with more
profound bows, said that his message
| to the Gridiron club and its guests had
been written, rs he was somewhat inn
| perfect in our language. and then he
began to read from large sheets of pa
| per.
| The people of the United States" he
began, ARE watching every day TO see
whether there is TO be war in the old
world. In the east we also watch for
that war. 1t is to observe preparations
| for that war that travel.
Il was in Japan before | came to
| this country. In Persia we take great
interest in Japan, because the next
war win be the great struggle between
| the civilizations of the east and west.
| We believe that the eastern civilization
will overcome the western civilization.
"rhis viii mark the downfall of Rus
sia. that treaeherous power that has
| plotted against peace of mankind from
the days of Peter the Great and has
been the hypocrite the false friend OF
every weaker power it has aimed 10
| Destroy
He was interrupted by member Of
the club who suggested that rs the
| Russian ambassador was our guest no
| such discussion should be permitted.
Mira Ali looked puzzled and contin-
| ued:
"rhe barbarous rule of Germany will
be brought to an end, and higher mo
| rality will supplant the vicious rule OF
| the vandals who have kept the intelli-
| gence of Europe under reign of ter
! ror"--
Again he was interrupted and atten.
ton called to the presence of the Ger
nun ambassador. The situation was
| explained TO the grand vizler, and he
| turned over two or three pages Of his
| manuscript and continued:
and then Great Britain. the tradi.
| tional enemy of the free American peo-
ple--perfdious Albion, as she is called
| by one of your poets-she has been the
| trader of yhe world-buyer AID seller
| of men-prctending to love liberty, but
| hypocriticaly sheltering slavery when
| it could be to-her Interest,"
| President Coolidge stopped him by
sharp raps of the gavel. The faces Of
| the diplomats were drawn into frowns
| of disapproval. Guests and members
were aghas., while President Roose-
| welt looked as IL he thought it was the
makings of bully row.
I'VE are very much obliged" said
Mr. Coolidge, ito his excellency the
| grand vizier, but as some members of
the British embassy are with u.s.
you will not let me speak," said the
vlzier anGrily: then I bid you good
| night You invite me here--you ask
me to speak, prepare my speech
you are as bad as the rest. You have
no free press-you have no free speecb'
/ 60"
And as he was making sweeping GEES
lures he tore away his feZ, wig and
beard, and there stood Francis e.
| Leupp of the New York Evening Post.
! He had put over the greatest hoax
ever perpeli'ated by the Gridiron cluD.
| The real Mira Ali Asgar Khan had
sailed for Europe that very day.