The Feilding Star. Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 1911. Persia's Peril.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 1675, 20 December 1911, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 1911. Persia's Peril.

Tin-' cabled news from Persia to-day ia not at all promising, for tho deputies in the national Parliament havo ■taken up an attitude towards Russia directly against that suggested by tho peacemakers. Yet it is not at all surprising that Persian feeling should bo hot against tho Russians, for the latter down through the years have been charged with persistent intrigues to causo trouble, and the Persian is surprised that England .should bo associated with Russia. Quito recently the special correspondent of the London Daily News wrote that ever since the time when the Russian Colonel Liakhoff bombarded the Persian Parliament House, Russian complicity with the forces of disorder in Persia had been established by a long chain of unanswerable evidence; and a situation had thus arisen which might any day bring Britain face to face with the Russian occupation of Northern Persia. '/Already on one pretext or smother over four thousand Russian troops havo been introduced into these regions. On one pretext or another every effort made by the Persian Government to put its liouse in order is skilfully frustrated. From' Russia, Mohammed Ali is let loose upon the infant structure of constitutional government in Persia. Ho Is decisively defeated by a small Government force and flees to tho districts adjoining the frontier ot Rus-

•da. This victory, followed by tho overthrow of the ox-Shah's brother, Salar-ed-Dowleh, who has been advancing from tha west at the head of a swarm of irregulars, would be followed by tho firm establishment of constitutional government in Persia, if Persia were only givtii a free hand. As things are, tho ex-Shah returns from tho districts adjoining the Rusisan frontier to keep the pot seething until it suits the Russian Government once ay.-a lor all to throwoil tho mash." And yet. as we were informed by cable on tho 17th inst., the Government was satisfied with the Russian assurance to maintain Persia's integrity, wliich was further

secured by the agreement. But early in this month intenso excitement in'evailed among the populace in Teheran when it became known that Russian troops at Resht had been ordered to advance on the Persian capital. The walls of the city and those of tho foreign Legations were plastered with red placards bearing the words, "Death or independence!" A general boycott of Russian goods then commenced in Persia, and tho Treasurer-General (Mr Morgan Sinister, the American expert against whom Russia is protesting) decided to dispense with the sorvices of a number of British- officials in Northern Persia. In an interview, Mr Sinister said: 'Siir Edward G-roy (the British Foreign Minister) accuses mo ol endeavouring to Anglicise the Persian service, but 1 am merely seeking an expert in accounts who is familiar with the Persians. I found that, Britishers were

most available. Had Russians possessed tho necessary qualifications 1 would have engaged thorn." Mi Sinister, by tho way, has been the most-discussed man in Europe these weeks past. He is described as a remarkable man, and the President of the United States (Mr Taft), who personally recommended him, certainly did Persia a signal service in introducing to her one who had already worked wonders in tho Phillipines. Endowed with the most useful gift of all, a forcible and attractive personality, Mr Sinister completely won the confidence of that somewhat fickle assembly, the Persian Mejliss. His position is that lie is its servant, and that he will make no payments wliich it has not authorised. Both the English and the" Russian banks, in accordance with the new law, refuse the payment of all cheques wliich do not bear his signature. In the past ccr- ' tain Persian Ministers have been in ■ the habit of issuing drafts at their own will and pleasure. It is strange j to find Sir Edward Grey standing so ' firmly with Russia in the anti-Sinis-ter movement —a movement which is j bringing Persia to the verge of a war that will-be of far-reaching effect. Britain's interests in Persia aro perhaps of more geographical j than commercial importance. Her , sphere of influence is 137,000 square miles, with a population of 690,000, and a net Customs revenue ol -Loo,ooo. The figures for the P. *.*..•■- sian sphere are: Area, 305,(530 square miles; population, 6,903,000; Customs, £305,000. Then there is the neutral sphere, with an area oi 183,000, a population of 1,910,000. and a Customs revenue of £180,000. In 1907 Great Britain and Russia agreed between themselves to limit the spheres of their respective interests to the -provinces adjoining the Russian frontier on the ono hand, and tho British frontier on tho other. The two Powers respect the integrity and independence of Persia, but at the same time, contemplate tho possible necessity of financial control in conformity with the principle of the agreement. But in dealing with Eastern nations there aro always complications of the unexpected, and consequently no ono can foretell what

may or may not happen in l'ersi** to-morrow.