File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎252v] (136/280)

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no wrong. It would be very hard for any Cabinet to take strong
action against them. All that can be hoped is that we may
get them out through the Swedish Government, but that
would be out of all Persia, and then the question arises would
not the last state of that man be worse than the first ? With
the Swedes gone, and no one available to take their place
troubles would soon break out again on the road. Well, I sh.’ *
not be here to see what will happen, and as I could not imagine
that all you gentlemen in the South 1 ) would have cooked the
charges against them, I had to lift up my voice at last in hostile
language. The Belgians appear to be all going, at least all
those in financial administration. The Swedes have had no
small share in this result, which appears to me an unfortunate
one at this moment of chaos when Persia, as usual, is sorely
in need of financial assistance that no one can well give her
unless sure that there is a financial administration capable
and honest enough to handle the money 2 ). What a hopeless
task it is indeed! Here have I been three years bolstering up
and supporting against all sorts of antagonists, including my
best friends, these two European administrations only to find
myself during my last days here unable to keep one on its feet,
and administering a coup de pied with all my force to the
other. It seems to have been a sad waste of much time and
energy to produce such a poor result. I cannot at the same
time divest myself of a belief that the actions of the Swedes
said to be hostile to us have been exaggerated, and that too
ready an ear has been lent to interested calumniators. I fully
realize all the mischief the Swedes have done by their open
expressions of conviction that the Germans must win. This
opinion coming from what are considered as impartial military
critics has had a great influence on the unreasoning public
opinion of Persia who has gladly accepted as an accomplished
fact the total overthrow of the hated Russian."
1 ) The letter is addressed to the consul at Shiraz.
2 ) This the English minister says after Russia and England had
driven the capable administration of Shuster out of Persia.
is id Pars,
^uer-es-
^ 'a fema