BRITAIN AND PERSIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1701, 18 March 1913, Page 5

BRITAIN AND PERSIA.

A SURPRISING REVELATION. By TolesruDh—Press Association—OoDrrieM London, March IG. The newspapers are surprised at a Blue Book revelation that Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, initiated Russia's demand for the departure from Persia'of Mr. Morgan Shuster, tlio late Treasurer-General.

MR. SHUSTER'S CAREER IN PERSIA. Tho ' circumstances of Mr. Morgan Shuster's connection with Persia will be readily remembered. Towards the close of 1010, when Persian finances seemed to be in a complete tangle, the deputies of the Mejliss conceived the notion that no one was so likely to get them out of their trouble as an expert American, and thoy applied to Washington for a financial administrator to put their Treasury into order. As the result of these negotiations Mr. Sinister was tendered ,a throe years' contract as Troasurer-Geij-eral of tho country, and set out for Teheran, under apparently rosy auspices, accompanied by four American assistants. It was understood that these people camo to Persia, not as representatives of the United States Government, but as chosen Persian officials; and both Great Britain' and Russia, who claimed interests in tho country, concurred in permitting them to take up their difficult duties. Within less than nine months of his reaching Teheran Mr. Sinister had received his dismissal and started again for heme.

Mr. Shuster formed his own views as to tho condition of Persia and the remedies which it demanded, savs tho London "Tinies." "lie seems to have expected that Great Britain and Russia would asr sent to tho application of these remedies irrespective of their own interests." That, the London organ adds, was an expectation which no trained statesman would have formed. When "that rather elementary truth was borno in upon Mr. Shuster" ho came to his own pessimistic conclusion and thus rendered himself impossible. He demanded from tho Mejliss or Parliament of Persia, "arbitrary and drastic control ill fiscal matters." Ho got it. Mr. Sinister, forgot that such control might prove inconvenient to Powers with "special interests." It is absolutely necessary that a Treasurer-General of Persia should know how to act in harmony with the two . Powers with these "special .interests" in the land. Mr. Sinister did not know how. Hence lie blamed Britain for not having quarrelled with Russia in' tho interests ot "constitutional" Persia. | A betrayal as flagrant as any on record, with Persia as tho victim and Great Britain as the villain, emerged to the perception of tho London "News" as it studied Mr. Shuster's account of himself. Persia, it assured its readers, had long

"groaned under the, heel of a corrupt and tyrannous despotism." At Inst", against overwhelming odds, the people throw off the yoke, drove out the oppressor, and established a form of constitutional government. "Tt rested with the two neighbouring groat powers—Broat Britain and Russia—to give the infant democracy a reasonable chance of weathering the storm." If thoy had simply stood aside and allowed Mr. Morgan Sinister to do his work, all must have ended well. But. "with a true instinct for the main danger to her designs," Russia concentrated her attack on Mr. Sinister.