File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎230v] (92/280)

As constant pin pricks were of no avail, recourse was taken
to open brutality. Sir Edward Grey gave the signal: "Persia’s
independence” he cables to St. Petersburg at the end of October
1911 1 ) when Morgan Shuster was negotiating with the Banking
House of Seligmann Bros, in London for a loan of £ 4,000 000
“cannot be allowed to be marked by unfriendliness either to
Great Britain or to Russia and it is obvious that in view of tL
geographical situation no Government which refused to re
spect interests of Russia could be tolerated by the latter at
Teheran. This we shall certainly impress on Shuster when the
occasion arises.” By this act England had given Russia full
power against Shuster.
The first opportunity which presented itself was eagerly
seized. Europe was still occupied with the after effects of the
Morocco crisis and there was little fear that indignation over
ill-treated Persia would be of more than a few days’ duration.
On the orders of the State Council the Treasurer General
had, with the help of his gendarmes, proceeded to the confis
cation of the property of Prince Shua-es-Sultaneh who had for
feited it by his open revolt against the Persian Government.
The day after the confiscation Pokhitanoff, the Russian
consul general 2 ), drove away Shuster’s gendarmes by Cossacks,
pretending that the prince’s Castle was mortgaged by the
Russian Banque d’Escompte 3 ). Shuster’s gendarmes took
possession anew of the castle on the following day. There
was no blood shed, but insults were rife from the Russian side;
the two Russian Vice-consuls distinguished themselves spe
cially in this. They did not succeed however in drawing Shuster’s
gendarmes, who maintained a correct attitude throughout 4 ).
Shortly afterwards, after the Times 5 ) had just stated
that the Russian minister had “corrected” and that the Per
sian Government had protested against the action of Consul
General Pokhitanoff, Russia demands a solemn apology from
the Persian Government to whom every inquiry into the case
1 ) English Blue Books Persia No. 4 (1912) No. 65.
2 ) The day he assumed office the deserving minister of foreign affairs
Hussein Kuli Khan Nawwab resigned his post.
3 ) This assertion is proved false by Shuster (Strangling of Persia p. 153).
4 ) See Shuster (Strangling) p. 145 and on.
5 ) 9- and 10. Oct. 1911.