PERSIA AND A LOAN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 85, 12 April 1910, Page 7

PERSIA AND A LOAN.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS REJECTED. Cy Telegraph.— Prcii Ansociatlon.— Copyright. TEHERAN, 11th April. Persia has rejected the political con1 ditions of the proposed Anglo-Russian loan. The Persian Government expect* to realise £750,000 on the State jewels. Writing on 4th March, the St. Petersburg correspondent of the Standard stated :— With reference to the AngloRussian Persian loan, a reply ha» not yet been cemved from Persia giving her assent to the conditions with which the loan is necessarily guarded, and until Persia has replied it is impossible to give publicity to the nature of these conditions laid down for tho proper expenditure of the money by the joint agreement of Russia and England, The Teheran correspondent of The Time*, under date Ist March, telegraphed to his paper .—The Sinahdar and Sirdar Assad have tendered their resignation to the Regent, ostensibly on the ground of their failure lo procure tho departure of the Russian troops. In a country like Persia the futility of political prophecy i» notorious, but it would come as no surprise if what now appears to be a Cabinot crisis should end in the two Ministers allowing themselves to be persuaded to reconsider their decision. The reason for their action is probably to be found in divisions of opinion within the Cabinet on the subject of the proposed loan. It is an open secret that n strong party in fho Mejliss, with which some of the Ministers nro believed to be in sympathy, is opposed to the idoa of borrowing money abroad on conditions, and advocates various measures — for instance, increased taxation and sale of the Crown jewels— for enabling the Government to raise money at home. However, it is fairly clear that money ennnot be raised iiiternally without considerable delay, and signs are not wanting that the need of tho Government is pressing. In tho circumstances it is not impossible that the threatened resignation of the Premier and of tho Minister of the Interior is designed as a sort of ultimatum which may strengthen their hands at a momont when the joint proposals of Omit Britain and Russia are about to be laid before the Mejliss.