A DRAMATIC STORY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17095, 18 February 1916, Page 4

A DRAMATIC STORY.

BOY SHAH AND GERMAN PLOTTERS. SCENES AT TEHERAN. ENEMY’S AGENTS ROUTED. Reuter’s Agency has received details of the crisis that prevailed in Persia in November owing to the attempts of f .man-Turkish conspirators to induce the Shah and tho Government to leave Teheran. The account fills ill the gaps between tho brief telegraphic dispatches, and presents in a vivid form a connected story of the desperate character of the German propaganda, the momentous councils in the Shah’s Palace, and the ultimate discomfiture and chagrin of the enemy, who, owing to the decision ot the Persian ruler, found himself discredited and held up to the ridicule of the population, having failed to bring off his great coup of November 15. During the second week of November i events in Teheran followed oue another j with amazing rapidity. News of tho advance of Russian troops in the direc- ! tion of the capital produced a profound effect, and the Germans. Austrians, and Turks immediately sought refuge in the American Legation. It was made clear that the Russians were being brought • up in view of the possibility of disturb- [ ances—worked up by the Germans—during Moharem. and simply with a view to maintain order. Apparently a secret agreement had existed for some time, for the harmonious working of the Swedish officers (for whom the Swedish Government is not responsible) and the Persian gendarmerie with the German party in Persia. Furthermore, there is reason to believe that the enemy has endeavoured unsuccessfully to win over the Persian Cossack Brigade. BOMBS AT A TEA PARTY. On November 14 the colonel of the brigade gave an “ At Home,” which was attended by the Swedish officers. Here was discovered a would-be assassin, armed with bombs, which he had been bribed by the Germans to throw at tho colonel. This, if successful, would have disorganised and confused tho brigade, and greatly assisted" the enemy in bringing off his coup on the following day.- That same night the German, Austrian and Turkish diplomatists left Teheran for a place a short distance from the capital, while at tile same time the gendarmerie were moving in the shine direction (ostensibly on a Government expedition) on masse, believing that they were to accompany the Government to Ispahan and attack the Russians. Next day the gendarmerie officers also all left Teheran, sending their wives and families to take refuge in the American Legation. Simultaneously the American flag Was •hoisted on tlie three Legations concerned, and some of tlieir contents re-, moved to the American Legation.

Tlie gendarmes who had been stationed on sentry-go at such public places ns the Imperial Bank were suddenly removed about eleven o’clock in the morning, and, it is reported, were tnkl to got out of the town as quickly as possible, and shoot every Russian and Englishman they saw. Tn the meanwhile great excitement was aroused tn the capital when it was known that the -•hah was going to leave. Ihe streets were lined with police, and a large eseo’'t of guard's was drawn up outside ,he no lace, where the Shah's carriage was waiting from an early hour in the morning. EXCITEMENT IN PALACE. Meanwhile within the palace mesi dramatic scenes were in progress*. Iho Cabinet Ministers were assembled in a corner of the room in which the young Shah was trving to make up his mind as to whether he should leave. On one side were functionaries doing their utmost to persuade the Sovereign to leave, while on the other Samsan-es-Sultnneh, the Sipahtar.and 1 nnce human Firma were urging him to stay. Utterly distracted', the boy ruler sent l our times for Colonel \\estdahL askin him what he advised, but the CUcl ol Police correctly implied on each occasion that he was there to obey orc.eis and not to advtse--a striking cont.ast to the behaviour of the Clue ol ... Gendarmerie, Colonel Edw.ll Ihe Ministers when appealed to b> the Shah did not know what to say. as they had become completely overawed hv the German party. , . . 'This state of hesitation lasted all morning, and in the . afternoon the British and Russian Ministers had a niivate conference with the Shah, a which it was explained at great to the young boy that tlii of the Russian troops near roheaanwns not a menace, but a safeguard to ti e nnlilio safetv and that the policy o, the two Powers was one of friendliness towards Persia. Two hours later the diplomatists left him in an undecided attitude, and once more 1 1 man Firma and Samsan-es-Sultandi gave counsel of moderation. At o.JJ the Shall summoned Colonel estdahl and told him to dismiss lus mounted police, as he had decided to remain m Teheran. A Cabinet Council was lmmediatelv oallied, and Ain-ed-Dowleh ami Prince Firman Firma were appointed Ministers in the Cabinet, the latter as Minister of the Intetior an the former as Minister without portfolio. .

EXTR AOB DIN ary SCENES. In the meantime an extraordinary state of affairs was taking place nt Shah Abdul Assim, whither tne enemy diplomatists and the gendarmerie had repaired. The gendarmerie was drawn up in review order, with the enemy foreign Ministers in full dress, with their staffs, awaiting the arrival of the Shah, whom they hoped to accompany to Ispahan, where they were really to fight against tho British and Russians. Their dismay can hardly be conceived when they learned, under dramatic circumstances, that the Shah had decided against them, and the Allies had carried the day. The gendarmerie had been most active throughout the day and previous night removing all their equipment and ammunition from tho Bagh-i-Shah anc Ynssufabad barracks, commandeering all the carnages plying for lure m th*i streets, filling them with gear of every description, and sending them down the road to JCurn with a gendarme mounted on the box. Fourgous and alltransp •port animals were also requisitioned and driven to the barracks, loader UP* and sent off. By the morning of the fifteenth not a single gendarme was left in Teheran. The days of mourning—which were, of course", holidays on which no business was done in the bazaars—enhanced the extraordinary state of paralysis which had come over Teheran. Very few Persians appeared jin tho streets, and, of course, no carriages were to be seen (leaving been commandeered or elso being afraid to appear). Only the polioo and tho former Persian" soldiers wore to be seen, no one knowing what they feared nor why. lii a few days the gendarmerie began to return to the city with all their transport, very travel-stained and weary, to the genoral amusement of tlie populace, who had now begua to realise how ridiculous .they had made themselves.

By tlie twenty-second' the town had resumed its normal aspect, and the .gendarmerie had now practicality all returned to Teheran. Duo retribution is to lie meted out to the genclarrnerm officers’ when the affair has completely settled down. Olio of these officers, just before leaving Teheran, went to a Russian shop and bought up their stock of wine. When asked for payment he drew his revolver and said the payment would be made when the Russian troops were got rid of.