BRITAIN IN PERSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3493, 22 May 1920, Page 2

BRITAIN IN PERSIA.

: The reported irrnption 01' a_ Bolshegvik force into Persia is ano‘ther relminder of the new responsibilities wt‘ lithe British Eniprc. It S certain that iii’ Persia became the object oi‘ a .~'r;-ri-ions Bolshevik advance Britain would ilr-ave to intervene. The recent agree'ment witil"Persiu would make that 2:!tnrost necessary. The geogl'aphic.'.l'i ’position of Persia as the open flan]; of }Mesopotamia, r\.fgha.nistan and‘ BaluTchistan wculd make it inevitaT)'le. Durling the war ‘Russia. and Britain sax’-er] fPersia from internal brigandage .‘lll’.i external aggression, but the conclu—sion of hostilities found her weak and_ disorganised. The Anglo-Russian ‘agreement of 1907 had been allowed to lapse and Persia turned to Britain for help. Sir Percy Cox, one of the greatest authorities on Persian ques tions, was sent to negotiate a treaty and the new agreement was framed under his guidance. The document. reiterates the undertakings which Britain has I*epe;».‘.:eLlly given to respect the integrity and independence -cf Persia. but it gives Britain a privileged position in the territor_v of the Shah. Britain agreed to supply expert advisers for the various departments of the Persian administration. to reorganise and equip the army and to co-operate with the Persian Government in schemes ct’ railway construction and’other forms of transport. There is to \be a modest loan of £2,000,000 and the Persian Customs tariff, which was framed under Russian pressure, is to be put on 2. fairer basis. Britain is now the only Great Power who-se t>FerritorieS march witii those of Persia. and she could hardly escape. even if sirerxvished, the general direction of Prsizm affairs. "Whatever privileges this may involve it also carries responsibilites and the protecton of Persia against the Bolsheviks is certainly one of these.