Evening star., 1924-08-03

he seldom turns to them for COM
panionship.
When death approaches, II he has
performed his daily prayers. kept the
fast Of Rama5an, visited the mosque
on Friday and given aims to the poor,
q Persian has no doubts as to his
reception in the next world and dies
in happy confidence of attaining to
the paradise promised by the prophet
to all his faithful followers.
With this background OF history.
religious fervor and fanaticism. and
Of custom, which must be understood
In dealing with the situation pre-
sented in the Imbrie case. we should
turn to the political conditions with
which this country Is concerned.
The Shah Ahmed Kadjar is now in
Paris for an indefinite stay-in what
is generally believed to be practical
Punishment He left Persia of his
own accord. but 1t was soon indicated
that the people might never want
him to return. There has been con-
siderable talk that a republic might
be established.
gether in this period Of general dis
integration by one man, known as
1.-The strong man of Persia This Is
the prime minister and minister of
war and commander of the army,
which he himself created. His name
Is Reza Khan; his title is sardar
sepah, "the commander Of the army"
He created this army of $4,000 men,
well organized and with all modern
equipment, practically out Of moth
ing. He has bought airplanes and
tanks for his army.
Many Persians think him one of
tho greatest men in all Persian his
tory. He was a peasant boy and en-
tered the army as a private in the
cosak division. He won great influ-
ence over his fellow soldiers In 1921
he made a coup d etat with a news
paper editor, who became prime min
lister. and Reza Khan became his
minister of war. Then, after few
months, that prime minister left
Persia. Reza Khan continued as min
lister of war during several successive
cabinets and about eight months ago
tinuing also as minister Of war.
When talk arose Of making Persia
a republic Reza Khan was the only
man mentioned on whom the people
could agree for president, SO that IL
a republic is born within his day he
Is very likely to become the first
president Of the Persian republic.
n y II I:
Nov of Teheran, the capital city:
It is set far enough back from
the Caspian Sea TO render it difficult
of approach. but it is on the rim OF
the Iranian Plateau. SO that it may
not be too inaccessible II the Ameri-
can Governments reported request
for an open-door policy in Persia
seems likely in view Of the pending
gigantic concessions, on which the
Parliament is soon to act
1t is city OF sharp contrasts, an
Oriental city, where women adhere
riefdly to the veil in the streets. but
have adopted the costume OF the
ballet girl in their homes. thus CIV
ing a curious medley of the West
and East.
Donkeys and trans; snake charm
ers and automobiles; ragged beggars
and ladies of Partisan fashion and
Washington culture from the foreign
quarters; alleylihe thorouEhfares and
mud houses and broad. shaded streets
Of European residences; venders sit
ting cross-leEged. chewing melon
seeds. who would resent your paying
the first price they asked; and mod
ern drug stores, where 1t would seem
you might buy anything but drugs
such is composite Teheran.
"Teheran Is khaki" a National
Geographic Society report says.
Khaki" is a Persian word meaning
muddy. AS you approach. its houses
Of mud blend into the treeless land
scape: when you are in it, the tan
of face and costume Of it's people.
the nondescript hues of it's myriad
donkeys, blend into the khaki pic
ture.
The donkeys Of Teheran command
a paragraph all to themselves. In the
older quarters Of the city they take
most Of the street. A pedestrian often
has to press against the wall to let
pass the donkeys, enveloped down to
their scrawny knees with brushwood.
and their nonchalant drivers. Still
more Of the donkeys are laden with
carcasses Of meat animals for market
Many of the Occidental features of
Teheran represent the normal pene-
tration of trade activities. Some Of
the most incongruous aspects have
resulted from the efforts of the late
Shah Nase-ed-din to introduce whole
sale the practices that pleased him
upon a visit to Paris.
His highness, so the story goes.
was attracted by the ballet at an
opera and ordered the front row pur.
chased for his harem. Finding that
impossible, he commanded all the
ladies' Of his very considerable .estab-
lishment to adopt tte ballet costume.
Other harems followed the fashion
hint of the royal residence.
While the beauty of the country
around Teheran is different from the
natural beauties Of the American
landscape, it has an appeal Of its
own. The city is some 1000 feet
above sea level, within sight Of snow
capped mountains. For the most part
1t is built OF the mud on which it
stands" The city is walled about
with IL ornately tiled gates. three in
each wall.
A similar ornate gateway within
opens to the avenue called 1.-The Hall
Of Paradise" at the end Of which
street is the palace of the shah. Out
,;a. tht. ra+e 10 the gun souare sur