File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎223v] (78/280)

i) Given by Browne, Persian Revolution, in the Teheran paper,
Habl-ul-Matin, (Sept. 14th 1907) and by Shuster, Strangling of Persia,
P. 28. See also appendix (P. 162).
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s revomnon,
ini the nati
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treaty, Atabeg-i-Azam — the exiled Prime Minister (an uncom
promising reactionary) — called back by the Shah against the
will of the people, was assassinated. The indignation of the
Persians at the dividing up of their country was so great that
Sir Cecil Spring Rice, the English Minister at Teheran, had to
hand the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs a note of co^,
ciliation, the text of which is suppressed in the English R&c
Books, but which nevertheless was later on authenticated in
the British House of Commons 1 ). Some leading sentences of
this classical document are herewith reproduced: —
“Neither of the two Powers seeks anything from Persia,
so that Persia can concentrate all her energies on the settle
ment of her internal affairs This agreement is inju
rious neither to the interests of Persia nor to those of any
other foreign nation, since it binds only England and Russia
not to embark on any course of action in Persia calculated
to injure the interests of the other and so in the future
to deliver Persia from those demands which in the past have
pvoved so injurious to the progress of her political aspirations ....
Henceforth Persia, aided and assisted by these two powerful
neighbouring States can employ all her powers in internal
reforms The object of the two Powers is not in any
way to / attack, bnt rather to assure for ever the indepen
dence of Persia .... Their object was not to allow one
another to intervene on the pretext of safeguarding their interests...
Persia will thus be perfectly free to manage her own affairs
in her own way.”
It will soon be shown how Russia and England kept to
these promises, especially as regards non-intervention in the
internal affairs of the country under the pretext of protecting
their own interests.
The parliamentary government, which Shah Mohammed-Ali
had recognised on oath proved a thorn in his side. He sum
marily arrested the Prime Minister Nasr-ul-Mulk on December
15,1907. Neither this proceeding nor a rising incited by doubtful
elements against Parliament led to the desired result: volun-
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