THE SHAH'S THRONE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 5

THE SHAH'S THRONE.

FIGHTING IN TEHERAN. ROYAL TROOPS FROM SULTANABAD. ' f RUSSIAN' COSSACKS. ' (By TelcgrapU.-rrcss isßociatlon-CopyrlEbt.) Teheran, July 14. .'Fighting between..the Shah's troops and the revolutionary forces was continued in Teheran all Tuesday.night. ./.■■'■■ ■..-■-. . '1 The Nationalists captured a'position near ] the house of Colonel Liakhoff (an os-officer of \ the Russian Army who has ■ commanded a , brigade of Cossacks in Teheran for some time' j past), and finally captured part of the Cossacks' position, ■' ■~ - . 1 Tho. Cossacks ; are now shelling the Nation- A alists. The Shah's troops have arrived from - f Sultanabad,.and are shelling the Parliament . buildings. ..-,,-• Nationalists have complained to tho for- ; oign Consuls that the Cossacks arc firing from ■■■ Colonel Liakhoff's house, under the shelter ' of the Russian flag. ; : '-;•'.. ; ROYALIST SURRENDER POSSIBLE..;' ~ NATIONALISTS' TERMS. ■•", '■: (Rec. July 15, 10.40 p.m.) Teheran, July 15. The- Secretary of the Russian Legation at ■' Teheran; on behalf of Colonel Liakhoff, Commander'of the Shah's forces and of the Persian: asked the; terms'of surrender. " The Nationalist commanders replied that if tho Shah's forces and Cossacks relinquish ■their'arms'the"officers wiJl, be: set free, and ;tho; men ; --will. be .to servo in ;tho. Constitutional forces of the Government., .-, 'All tho. Russian in .theXJaspiao. Sea have'gone to Persian waters.... - ' ; : \";- ; ; i LIAKHOFF'S POSITION. . - ! 'RUSSIA-' AND THE NON-INTERVENTION : .<.;.:.■■;■../;■-,' ; : : policy., ' .;-". ' >; :: . : ;-;;. -■'■ Colonel Liakhoff is a Russian officer (retired) who' holds a command under; the Shah.: Last r year,-prior to'his'retirement, his position was very equivocal; because—while 'retaining his position as ian officer in the-Russian ,arinyon June 23, as commander of the Shah's Cossack bodyguard, ;ordored an artillery Hint destroved. the Mejliss (parliament) Buildings in Teheran. : The; Shah the appointed. Col.. Liakhoff Governor 'of Teheran,. with .large powers to deal with "the" disorders. On; June 29 th<> Teheran correspondent of "The Times reported that : this Russian colonel.' is : master of tjie'situation,' and riiles as an absolutely : indope'ndent. viceroy." ; . ■•, -.'.'-■ ■•■,;,■ :'\:-■'-• ~-';■••■' '. Following on ; tlus, questions were asked, in the British House of Comropns, and the Russian Government proceeded to endeavour to set ' 'itself'right ns;regards Colonel Liakhoffaind Jus actions. 'The Russian' Government's cxplanaHon- -was Ho I' the 'following effect:. "That.so lohg.as Colonel Liakhoff acted under the.orders, of-the'Shah as commander of : the Bodyguard ' -Russia considered that •: He was only doing; hH ; 'duty j but when Colonel Liakhoff began to issue ordinances and otherwise to assume the-Tole 1 of n member of the Persian executive, the Rus- '- siah Legation promptly intervened.'; - . .•:, ,-j .'.; "A Plaiii^ Soldieir."- ; :;':v;.. ; .^'.;";;■ 'The'"St.;"Petersburg newspapers.. were not satisfied' with this, and a majority, of lliem pressed for Colonel Liakhoff's recall. ■-, i'lio "Bourse. Gazette" held that "his further main- - tcnance' in an equivocal position places an. entirely unnecessary and unwarrantable strain on the Anglo-Russian Convention.",; Then, in August. 1 the Russian Government ■ returned to the; subject: by.aflirming that its .information shows that Colonel Liakhoff "took no 'political initiative in recent events. ' Colonel Liakboft ' .is ;'a'■: plain' 'soldier,: entirely - unversed 'in •poll- ' -'.'According' to another report—not, however, 1 •■confirmed—this';"plain-soldier,'* in nil order to I his Cossacks,'"is stated to. have called oil his ''. men : to fight- with ..the utmost, valour ■• against the revolutionaries,'.(is victory'would moan .the destruction of r the Constitution, and to lmVe ' promised 'them tho. riches ofi Tabriz as .100t.,. -'Concurrently: -.with: thesor 1 .happenings,. the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward ■ Grey. being" questioned in- the 'Commons,, sauL that the Russian officers holding posts in Teheran had been-in Persia for some years;,long before the'Angld-Riissian Convention.They were ofi;cers nbt'-sent in' by the' Russian Government. but under the. ordersof the Shah. He affirmed the Anglo-Russian' understanding as to non-m • tervention in Persia's internal.affairs. :Colqpo) Liakhoff was .'under-the--orders of the Shah; '. not. i>f : -,Russia.'.-.;;' .:'.-.'../

Danger, of -Partition. '[ ';,-.;■ '■■•'■,■;' ,■:.;'■/.i- \.-. '."., Tho danger of a partition of Persia ■■WdSiemphdsieed in'' tho Hottse 'of Commons by Mr. Lynch'(Liberal), who pointed out that:if Russia dnd Britain took halves, Britoih' would have n frontier with Russia extending over 1200 miles. 'How' would, ehe defend it?, Ar. grim t ■ military' authority had 6nid that Britain could not havo a -moro ■ formidable attack on' India than.aa 'attack by a Persian army commanded by Russian officers: ,' ;; . V ■"'..: ■■:'/'■'■'• '■'.. ' .The Russian' Government took a 'jfurtner step-Inst March towards regularising 'its- position,.as it was notified that Colonel Liakhoff, commander pf -tlio" Shah's Cossacks.' in Tehoran, "has-been placed/on'tho' retired 1 list of the Russian army. 'Hu retains Mb command of the Persian,; Cossacks.". ';• '.''-:' , : .-...''