SITUATION IN PERSIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3011, 23 February 1917, Page 5

SITUATION IN PERSIA

STATEMENT BY LORD

CURZON

TURKISH INROADS CHECKED

(Itec. February 22, 5.5 p.m.) London. February 21. In the House of Lords Lord Bryce sought a statement as to conditions in Persia.

Lord Curzon (Lord President of the Council) replied that recently there had been a steady improvement in the situation. Germany for years had been dreaming and intriguing and had not 3 T et abandoned her dream of German dominion from Antwerp to tho Indian Ocean. Her sinister object was to Strike at Britain's dominion in Egypt and ioh us of the hegemony of the Eastern World. Germany had made Austria her dupe and Turkey her slave, and hoped to attain her ends by means of the Bagdad railway. The Turks, although unable to advance now occupied 30,000 sqnaro miles of Persia. Their movement reached its maximum in August, when, the Russians in the north, under General Baratoff, recovered the position and effectively barred the Turkish way to Teheran. It was a strange position. The great Russian Army was now aoting as a screen to our Indian Dominions.

We had captured most of the German agents in Persia, ho continued, and a more stable Government, entirely frlendly\ to the Allies, had now been established_ at Teheran. A force of 6000 gendarmerie, under Sir Percy Sykes, was preparing to drive out the brigand, camps. Our recent successes at Kut had materially improved the situation, which was not altogether free from anxiety. Wβ must turn the Turks ont of the western parts of Persia. There, was still some disorder in the Hinterland, and the Persian Gulf trade routes had not yet been reopened. "It would be idle to propheoy as to the future of tho East, .which had often proved the grave of statesmen's prophecies, but I think the worst is over."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn,