THE SHAH OF PERSIA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10049, 21 May 1910, Page 7

THE SHAH OF PERSIA.

Each time the Shah cf Persia went to Europe, where he spent large sums, he procured the money needed for hi* journey not only by raising a loan generally in Russia, hit also by anothf-.f-r method, which was both ingenious ar;d business-like. "Before leaving hi 9 pos: ,-:.3i0ii3," writes M. Paoli, in M'Clu.-:'.•-. Magazine, he s;.mranned his chic i i.ffice.vs of Sta't--- Ministers, provi.-cial governors, p.s-.d the like —ar,>. ! ■: roposed the foljuv.ing bargain v, (hem:--"Those woo wished to f ■ ■.i part of his fuite must first pay bin. ■ sura of money, which lie fixed in ; within.- ; ,»portaPce of functions—if varied between 5u,()00 and 300,000 f; itics. In return, t. authorised them to recoup then r Ives in any vi'.iy they pleased. "Here we find the explanation of the larpe number of person, vho accompanied the Shah on hi- i.ruvc-lse,,' and the quaint and unexpt< .. ■■<■} titles \ that they bore, such as thiii. oil 'Mm- I ister ot the Dockyard' (thuu .■:'> Persia I has never owned a navy), undone J more still extraordinary, a.at of 'Attorney to the Heiv-Appai&nC.' y , a "Although they sometimes had ic- , niantic souls, they invaribl.y bad ter- j ] ribly practical mi xs, Eager t< recoviev their outlay as quickly a- ; :o:;3ible, | they practised on a huge and without scruple or hesitation, what I may describe as the bonus or commission system. This explain: d h"\v on j each of his trips to Prance the Shah was able to spend from ei<;ht to tweive million franca in money. "tie always carried a loaied pistol . in bis trouser pocket, though he I never UEed it. On one of his journeys in France he even took it into his head to make a high Court official walk before him when hit left the theatre, carrying a revolver pointed at the peaceable sightseer? who had gathered to sea him come out. As soon as I saw this, I ran up to the threatening bodyguard. "'Put that revolver away,' 1 said. 'lt is not the custom her?.'

"But I had to'jnsist pretty strongly before he consented to lay aside his weapon. "x'he Shah for that matter, wa3 no leas distrustful ot his own subjects. I observed that when ihe Persians were in his presence they adopted a uniform attitude, which consisted in holding their hands, crossed on their stomachs, no doubt as evidence of their harmless intentions. It was a guarantee—of a very casual sort, we must admit. "For the rest, his 'alarms' displayed themselves under the most diverse aspects ar.d in the most unexpected circumstances. For instance, there wa3 no persuading him to asceid the Jbliffel Tower. The disappointment of his guides was increased by the fact that he would come as far as the foot of the pil-

lars; they always thought that he meant to go up "But no. once below the immense iron framework, he gazed up in the air, examined the lift?, flung a timid glance at the. staircases, than suddenly turned on his heels and walked avay. They told him in vain that his august father had gone up as far as t'.e first floor; nothing could i.iduce him to do as much

"Ihe instinctive dread of darkness and solitude was so keen in the Persian monarch that he required his loom to be filled during the night with light and sound. Accordingly every evening, as soon as he had laid down and closed His eyes, the members of his suite gather round his bed, lighted all the candelabra an 3 exchanged their impressions aloud; while young nobles of the Court, rc= Having oi:e another in pairs, conscientiously patted his arms and legs with light, sharp, little laps, 'The King of Kings imagined that he was in this way keeping death at a safe d'stance, if perchance it should take a fancy to visit him in his sleep; and the extraordinary thing is that he did sleep, notwithstanding all this massage, light and noise.