CHAOS IN PERSIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 71, 17 December 1907, Page 5

CHAOS IN PERSIA.

CAPITAL UNDER SIEGE. RUSSIAN COSSACKS WAVERING. TURKEY'S CHANCE. BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'—COPYRIGHT, (Rec. Dec. 16, 10 p.m.) , Teheran, December 16. An outbreak has occurred at Teheran, and fighting is proceeding between the Nationalists and tho Royalists. Tho city is in 'a state of siogo. Tribal cavalry and Cossacks aro parading tho palace. Tho Legations and tho Consulates are guarded. Tho Nationalists', shelter at Sipahsalar Mosque. Tho Reactionaries shelter at tho Gun Squaro. Tho trouble, is due to the Shah's refusal to expel reactionary chiefs, who aro intriguing against 'the Cabinet. The Ministry resigned, apparently under compulsion, sinco throo of the principal Ministers, including Nassar-01-Mulk, the Premier, were afterwards arrested by the Shah's order. Parliamont, enraged, asked,the Shah tho reasons for the airests, and resolved to sit and await his' answor. Prior to this, ; an angry mob, demanding immediate execution of several soldiers for recently, murdering two shopkeepers in a street affray, formed a procession, and fired into Parliament Buildings. London, December 16. "Tho Times " depicts the. hopeless chaos' among the Persians and tho decomposition of tho Persian State. The Cossacks, it says, are no longer in Kosakowsky's hands, and, "in tho ;blind struggle botween reformers and reactionaries, neither know how to govern. ■ ' "It is unknown whether the Cossacks consistently take either side. . Moreover, Persia is'subject to the depredations of the Turks. The Sultan of Turkey finds tho opportunity good for tho prosecution of schemes of conquest on the frontier, and, unless other Powers bring him to account, there is no serious obstacle to his' carrying out his schemes." - The constitutional position in Persia lias been compared with that of Russia, and it is said 'that. the new Persian Parliament' is repeating tho history of tho Duma. The Nationalists are said to represent the constitutional movement, and, according to some English pepers, are _ predisposed in favour of Germany; and hqainst Britain and Russia; but there is nothing very clour-cut in Persian politics. The first Persian Premior was assassinated a few months ago; he is said to have been friendly to British and Russian interests. The subsequent Anglo-Russian Convention, which assigned north Persia to the Russian sphere of influence, and south-east Persia to the British, was resented by the Persian Parliament. Germany has established a bank, and has taken other steps to gain a Footing, and there, is keen rivalry among the European Powers: Fighting between Turkish forces and the Persians took place lately on the frontier, the Sultan (if Turkey claiming that ho had liot gone beyond his own frontier. It ■was understood at the time that both sides were to withdraw armed forces from tho disputed ground till tho ownership was settled by-pacific , means. The presonco of the Cossacks in Teheran arises from recent disorders, which caused their despatch to the Capital to protect the Russian Legation'. Cossacks also assisted the troops of the Shah of Persia to defeat the Pretender, Salur-ed-Dowleh, the Shaft's younger 1 brother, who surrendered. ■