'MISCELLANEOUS. PERSIA 1882-1898: Maps, Government Papers etc.' [‎38r] (75/202)

PERSIA.
(3*)
TEHERAN, Oct. 5.
There have been disturbances at Meshed for the
last three days, directed against the tobacco
monopoly, and business has been at a standstill,
but the town is now quiet and order has been
restored.—Our Correspondent, by Indo-European
Telegraph.
RUSSIA AND PERSIA.
PARIS, Oct.* 1).
On the 26 th ult. I sent you information of a
treaty between Russia and Persia excluding other
Powers from commercial relations with the latter
and assigning diplomatic joint representation
abroad to one of the two Powers. Two days
afterwards a St. Petersburg telegram stated that
this 'vvas positively denied in diplomatic circles.
Not liking to reply without being certain, I have
waited till my informant had time to ascertain
whether this official contradiction ought to be
accepted. I have now received a letter which
enables me. to state that the contradiction is
mere cavilling, at once somewhat childish and
clumsy.
It speaks of a new 'treaty of commerce and
denies only this. But I have never spoken of a
new treaty. 1 have said that a treaty is
being “ arranged,” without in any way affirming
that it is a new one, or that the existing treaty
will be changed by altered or additional clauses.
But this is precisely what the denial avoids
specifying, adopting once more this tortuous
expedient of using ambiguous words. But I am
sure that negotiations are going on, that before
long the result of these negotiations will be
known, and that one of the clauses of the
arranged treaty will provide that if Persian
refugees in Russia—and this alludes to a relation
of the Shah, who has sought shelter in Russia—
were conspiring against Persia, Russia would
take the pledge to hand them over to the Persian
authorities.
Moreover, at this very moment one of the most
important representatives of Persia in Europe has
been summoned back to Teheran to finish the
arrangements or conditions of the altered treaty
of which the negotiations had been begun under
his auspices. This negotiator I could even name,
if necessary. If I were to say all I know about
this Persian matter, I could allude to the rivalry
for influence which exists at this moment at
ieheran to an extent which hitherto has never
been realized ; I could affirm that one Power
has even proposed to Nasr-ed-Din to make a
fresh tour through Europe at its own expense as
a proof of its friendship, and that the Shah,
without refusing, has not, or, at least, has not
yet, accepted. I could add that even in the
direction of religion the Persian Shiites are being
incited against the orthodox Mahomedans, the
Sunnites,in order to detach the Persian Mahome
dans from the ties of the Caliphate, of which
Abdul Hamid is the most powerful, if not the
undisputed, chief and Commander. This is
what I have to reply to tbe official denial of St.
Petersburg regarding the Russo-Persian negotia
tions. 1 think that the reply may seem enough
to impartial readers, but 1 am ready to say more