THE POSITION OF PERSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1917, Page 5

THE POSITION OF PERSIA.

GERMANY'S SINISTER OBJECT. London, February 21. In the House of Lords, Lord Bryce sought a statement as to the condition of Persia. Lord Curzon replied that recently (here had been a steady improvement in tho situation. Germany for years had been dreaming and intriguing and had not yet abandoned the dream ol German dominion from Antwerp to the Indian Ocean, with the sinister object of striking Britain's dominion io Egypt and robbing her of the hegemony of the Eastern world. Germany had made Austria her dupe and Turkey her slave, and hoped to attain lier ends by means of the Bagdad railway. The Turks, although unable to advance, now occupied 30,000 squaro miles of 'Persia. The movement reached its maximum in August. The Russians in the north, under General Baratoff, had recovered their position and effectively barred the Turkish way to Teheran. It was a strange position, the great Russian army now acting as screen for our Indian dominions. We captured most of the German agents in Persia. A more stable Government, entirely friendly towards the Allies, was how established at Teheran. A force of 5000 gendarmerie, under Sir Percy Sykes, was preparing to drive out the brigand camps. The recent Kut sucpesses had materially improved the situation, which, however, was not altogether free from anxiety. We must turn out the Turks from the western parts. There was still some disorder in the hinterland of the Persian Gulf, and the trade routes had not yet been reopened. 'lt was idle to prophesy the future in the East, which was often the grave of statesmen's prophecies, but he thought the Worst was over.