PERSIAN AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 324, 25 January 1908, Page 2

PERSIAN AFFAIRS.

The Constitution issued by the late Shah, and confirmed by his successor, has been in operation a whole year. Consisting of a preamble of fifty-one articles, it was issued on Ist January, 1907. It dealt with the constitution of the National Council, fixing the number of members provisionally at 162—t0 be raised later on to 200—and establishing two years as the limit of its life. It is to meet every year on Bth October, and can sit as it likes. In the hands of the National Council

are placed, inter alia, all questions of financial control and the granting of monopolies, concessions, etc. Under this clause the Council has been discussing banking questions, and by it a financial arrangement has been come to with a Herman firm—the Orient Bank of Berlin —for establishing IT bank in Persia. The Council, write* one of the latest

authorities, has been hitherto purely a debating society. It lias produced' no men of note; it has-accomplished little legislation worthy the name. This is <iiie to lack of experience in political maffers. There is also a partly nominated, partly elected, Senate of sixty members. Parties are divided into those favoring reform and those regarded as reactionaries.

Outside the Assembly all is chaos. The trade of the country cannot expand, as many routes—notably the southern from the liiilf—-are unsafe owing to extensive marauding. There are often local troubles in the large towns, due to the incapacity, as n rule, of Government officials. There is chaos in the Government departments. No soldiers could be found to send against the invading Turks at I'runiiii, yet a youth could be hired to throw a bomb at the Premier, killin» him almost on the spot. " The Sultan, Mohammed Ali, is weak. lie has no soldiers and no money, in which respect the disaffected members of the community are similarly Uckiw. Given funds, he would probably at once strengthen his position by arms.