Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-27
.BR|T|sH-PERs|AN TREATY
BASED ON LEAGUE IDEAS
Sir Valentino Chirol Declares 1t In
Harmony With Principles OF
Versailles.
JUSTICE GIVEN oRIENTALs
Small Nation Treated as Equal OF
Britain I'm Fixing Terms OF Pact
Protcctoratc, Yelled or Unveiled,
Could Have Been Imposed.
fRy A,soclnted prc,sl


LONDON. Oct. 2G-Sir Valentine
Chiro!. the wcn-known authority on
india and Persia, who accompanied
of India in his tour OF Persia. is out
IN an article strongly uphoiding the
atad 9iG nd dsc, treaty recently nsgo,
submitted TO the council OF the league
o: nations. where he confidently be-
iieves 1t will be approved as the first
milestone in international relationship
based not upon might but upon right .
Sir Valentine says in part:
betwec5 et Inn nr signed on H Amsnst
governments is the first important in
terna ional treaty-outside those con-
since the hrmistice OF November last
he!d out the promise of returning peace
10 shattered and exhausted world.
inc promise remains still very largely
uniulhlled. but the treaty of Versailles
has at least laid down in the covenant
o: the league of nations the lines upon
which. IL may reasonably be hoped,
us fulhlment may ultimately be COM
p!ctcd and made as permanently Sc
herent frailty OF all human combina-
tons.
., In Harmony. with League.
The first question. therefore. to be
asked by those who study the terms
or the new AnEio-Persian agreement
and especially by. such as are not di-
ions which j; had endcavored to
solve. must necessarily be whether
the spirit and substance OF this com
pact Is in harmony with the new dis
pInsation foreshadowcd By the league
o. nations. It's authors arc confident
that II is: and have given the strong
ny undertak ing 10 submit ii to the
council Of the league OF nations and
as soon as the council comes into eff
fcctive existence after the ratification
Of the Versailles, treaty.
III the Anglo-Persan agreement
can stand that decisive test it will be
the first and very conspicuous mile
stone on the road along which the
establishment OF n system OF intcrna-
t!onal relationships based not upon
might but upon right"
Referring to Pers!as attitude in the
recent war he says:
There were moments when the Per
sian court and government. convinced
cumbed 10 hostile solicitations But
at that stage the proQinQuity OF Rus
BY the British were powerful correc-
tives to the tale OF Germanic victories
on on the more distant battle fields OF
released Persia from the old night
mare OF Russian domination. and Brit
.sh troops and British supplies alone
Persia and the depredatons of Turk
ish invaders, which had already spelt
starvation and untold sufferinEs. the
craftsmanship of the more enlightened
and farseeins Persians. such as the
present Prime Minister Vossuk- ed
Dow!eh. finally prevailed. and Persia.
having learned the bitter lesson OF her
own utter helplessness. realized once
more that her salvation lay in British
hands.
Britain Could Dictate.
so when the great war came to
an end. and Turkey as we'll as her
European allies had to sue for peace
III Persia, willis. the old dread Of
autocratic Russia had made room for
the new terror of Russian Bolshevism.
Britain was in a position to dictate
practically any terms she liked at
Teheran. She could have imposed a
protectorate, veilcd or unveiled as was
expected by many Persians with un-
easy conscience sover certain Incidents
such as the prostratons OF the Per-
sian delegation to Brest-Litovsk be-
fore the triumphant mailed fist OF
Germany.
She could certainly have made out
strong case in Paris for the ex-
ercise of benevolent tutelage over
Persia under mandate from the
league of nations. She wisely refrained
from doing any of these things. In
Lord Curzon's words. she dealt with
Persia as an equal partner possessing
and enjoying her own sovereignty.'
The Persians know today as never
own regeneration unaided. Their adj
ministrative system is hopelessly ineffi-
cient Their finances are bankrupt
They have no organized force capable
of maintaining external security or in