PERSIA'S PERIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 77, 27 April 1909, Page 4

PERSIA'S PERIL

ANARCHY RAMPANT IN THE SHAH'S EMPIRE. A ROYAL PRISONER. , THE COUNTRi'S TRADE TAIULYSED. An informative article which appeared in a late issue of a London paper is particularly interesting to-day, in view of the daily cable news from Teheran. The writer says that Mohammed AM, Sha.i of Persia and King of Kings, is at thi- ' moment a nionarcn only in name, witnout power to enforce his despotic authority in any part of his empire. He 's virtually a fugitive from his people, living, in Bagh-i-.shuh, the Garden of thc Shah, a fortified camp on the outskirts of his capital, surrounded by a small body of Persian officers, the only troops on which he can rely for his personal safety.

North of his capital to the Caspian Sea, west to the Russian and Turkish frontiers, and south to the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, his power has been usurped by thc Nationalists, directed by the Anjumaus, the political clubs of Persia. Tile trade routes are stopped, and the caravans which continue a des : perate commerce are looted by the tribesmen, whom the condition of monarchy has placed; Iwyond the control of both the Shah and the Nationalists. DAILY BOMBARDMENT.

Months ago the Shall despatched n ■force under Ain-ed-Dowlech westward to subdue tile Nationalists at Tabrn, who clamoured for a restoration of pa: liumentary government. This forte was largely recruited on its march by tribesmen attracted by the prospect of loot. Since then there has been almost daily bombardment of the capital of Azerbaijan, but Satar Khan and his Nationalist followers have withstood the assault and succeeded in inflicting severe puuisliiiicnt on the Wiah's troops. As far as can lie gathered from the latest telegrams, Tabriz, is as far from submitting to the Shah as when his Majesty's troops first arrived.

The only remit of Ain-ed-Uowlceh's expedition lias been to destroy Russia's trade with Persia liy way of Julfa and to create a condition of famine within Tabriz.

Another eijually impotent force was despatched south to suppress the revolt at Ispahan, where Snmseni-cs-Sullnuch, the head of the Bakhtiari tribesmen, hail risen against the representative aulhority of tile Shah. But on the way they 'decided that frecbooting would be more profitable than lighting tile powerful Siiiusem. and on reaching; Kum they disbanded. Some of them joined Sanisein, others became brigands. So far the revolution had been limited to the Russian sphere of influence, as mapped out by the Anglo-Russian agreement of August 31, i!KI7. Now, however, it has extended south to tile sea, and Bandar Abbas, the port on the Persian Gulf, within the British sphere, and Ungeh, another port to the west, are threatened by the forces under Syed Hussein. In this part of Persia, south of the country occupied by the Bakhtinris, are four nomad tribesmen who own allegiance to Sowlat-ed-Dowleii. Thev can raise 10,000 horsemen, and Syed'Abdul Hussein is believed to he acting in cooperation with their chief. RKBKI.S SI'PUKMK.

Thus all the principal cities and towns of Persia—excepting only the capitalarc in the hands and under the dominance of the revolutionaries, and the trade routes are rendered precarious and mostly impassable.

The leaders of the revolution insist that their rising is not against the Shah, but against, the reactionary Court camarilla which still surrounds him and hardens him in his resolve to resist the reintroduction of parliamentary government. The Shah declares he will coircdc a limited form of constitutional government when order is restored ; the revolutionaries declare they will respect his authority when he restores the Constitution which his father granted shortly before his death, and which he himself several times swore on tile Koran to observe.

(Ireat Britain and I'ussia, acting jointly and in complete iiarimny under the agreement of I'.KIT, have repeatedly made representations to the Shah urging bin to grant parliamentary rule. They arpledged under the terms of that agreement to respect the integrity and independence of Persia, but at the same time they contemplate a. form of financial control in accordance with the principles laid down in the agreement. They have resolved that no linancial aid shall be given to the Shah so long as the reign of anarchy lasts, and. failing this form ol pressure, other measure- are being considered jointlv by the two (ioveninients.

Meanwhile nri'tish and Russian trade interests are suffering heavily, for out of Persia's imports, worth .CH,OOO,OOU a vfiir, Russia is interested to tiie extent of C4,IHIII.(I00 and tile liritish Kiupire to The parties to the couv'ention control about SO per cent, of Persia's total trade. It is feared thai iiltimatflv this (lordiau knol will he cut by the'sword,and that another national Iragcdv will be added to history.