THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1912. BRITAIN IN PERSIA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10546, 31 January 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1912. BRITAIN IN PERSIA.

The crisis whiuh has occurred in Persia through the Russian ultimatum having been rejected, has a greater interest for Great Britain than the brief messages which arrive by cable would indicate. iThe Teheran correspondent of the London Times, telegraphing from Teheran ont December lMh, said:— "A .grave situation exists at Sbiraz, where .the" Chief MolJaih, Mirza Ibrahoni, has aroused all the fanaticism of . the people against tJhe British. The shopkeepers, under the orders of the clergy, absolutely refuse to sell the. smallest article to the British Indian troops. Mrza Ibraham has also declared Imperial bank-notes unclean, and these are presented for payment at the rate of 15,000 tomans daily, which embarrasses the bank, as a large caravan of specie is delayed on the roads. Ordinarily influential circles hero are endeavouring to arrest the anti-"Brit-ish boycott, urging that, although the British Government is acting with Bussia, it is undesirable to alienate

sympathetic British public opinion. Public feeling, however, is entirely out «f hand, as all the clergy everywhere are calling for resistance to Russia, and are inciting a holy war. The Cabinet refuses., /to resign, ak though it has lost the confidence of the Mejli&s. it still urges concessions [to Russia, 'but is not likely long to withstand tihe torrent of public opin'■ioni. The bazaars romain obstinately | shut. The month of Muha/rrem, a j period of national mouraing, mow.rapidly approaching, when the bazaars are ordinarily dosed and when fanaticism is at its height, appears likely to see repeated the history of the famous Syed Ruete and tobacco concessions, when the Persian populace Obstinately withstood all pressure and conducted a campaign of passive resistance. The revival of the AngloRiikssian rai'lAvay proposals adds fuel to the fire. It is difficult to see how Russia can obtain other than' a Pyrrhic victory against a frenzied population in this stubborn frame of imind."