'Persia. No 1 (1909). Correspondence respecting the affairs of Persia, December 1906 to November 1908' [‎53v] (90/236)

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In the provinces the situation seems to be daily growing Worse In Shiraz the
prospect has been so menacing that His Majesty’s Consul has been obi,gedto recoin-
the increase of his guard. In Ispahan and the districts around lawlessness is rife,
and the local authorities Ire so feebleVat they cannot or will not provide escorts tor
two parties of Indo-European Telegraph Department officials, who have been detained
for more than a mouth from starting on inspection duties along the line , and to-day I
earn from Messrs. Ziegler’s agent that the clergy are trying to organize a boycott of
European goods. In Kermanshah the prospect of the return of the late mcompeten
Governor, Seif-ed-Dowleh, has been the signal for renewed disoiders. Astrabad, left
without a Governor for seven months, is being pillaged with impunity by J utkomans, and
the famous “ stage of terror ” on the Meshed-Tehran road has been the scene of savage
outrages by these lawless marauders. . , , • •, i
The Imperial Government is quite powerless to deal with the situation; it has no
money and no force at its disposal, and for the same reasons its orders to the provincial
authorities remain inoperative. , , w ,
Tehran itself, in the last few days of the month, has been deeply disturbed by
a strong movement to depose the Shah. _ . r. i • i i
Late in October a new Cabinet came into office, for the formation of which the
Assembly is solely responsible. It contains, on the whole, the most capable set of
Ministers who have held office since the beginning of the constitutional regime a year
ago, and great hopes are reposed in it.
Recent speeches in the Chamber prove that the Cabinet possesses the complete
confidence of that body, but nevertheless the weakness which characterized the last
Administration is as marked as ever. Rven Naser-ul-Mulk, the Pume Minister,^ is
unwilling to accept the most trifling responsibility unless he is assuied that lus action
has the approval of the Assembly. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is scarcely better,
and the transaction of business, even in quite unimportant matters, is exceedingly slow.
Executive authority is at a very low ebb.
As regards the financial question, a loan seems inevitable. ^ The Treasury is empty,
and without money to pay some kind of public force the restoration of order and security
is impossible. Naser-ul-Mulk talks optimistically of disbanding the present army and
organizing a military gendarmerie on a modest scale. It would probably be the best
plan in the circumstances, for I am assured that it the Government were able to give a
single sharp lesson to the forces of disorder in any town the rest of Persia would take it
to heart. There seems to be no material with which to officer such a force, and, above
all, there is no money. Naser-ul-Mulk recognizes that without Great Britain and
Russia nothing can be done, and seems to hope that the two Powers will come to the
assistance financially. I have suggested to him that he should await M. Bizot’s arrival
to give him advice before taking any step.
No. 61.
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward (xrey.—(Received November 25.)
Sir, Tehraiii November 8, 1907.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith the monthly summary of events during
the last four weeks.
I have, &c.
(Signed) CHARLES M. MARLING.
Inclosure in No. 61.
Extract from Monthly Summary of Events.
Tehran.
A NEW Cabinet was formed on the 26th October by the National Assembly and
approved by the Shah. The members of the new Cabinet are as follows :—
Minister of Finance and President .. .. Nasr-ul-Mulk, G.C.M.G. [Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade).
Minister of the Interior (including posts,
telegraphs, municipality, police, &c.) . . Assef-ed-Dowleh.