Manuscript of Persia and the Persian Question (Continued) [‎325r] (649/690)

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been Russians each one of tiiem would have
been an unaccredited but industrious agent for
the country of his birth. I am not suggesting that
any such spirit of irresponsible activity should be
encouraged or even allowed, but,looking back upon
the policy that has hitherto been adopted, I can
not but regard it as unfortunate that over a period
covering more than a quarter of a century so little ~
efleet-othe-r thttw the eftiewnt dioo karge-ef immluwni- I
nn hfhitteTTia i-Thamn o effort, or but
The scantiest effort, has been made\ to utilize thot'
knowledge, tho^services, or the</possible influence.
■of' thoou iiwon. In one or two cases *«• con
spicuous local authority has caused to ImT
intrusted with political duties ; but these cases
can be counted upon the fingers of one hand. This
was mainly attributable in the past to a long
standing jealousy between the British Legation at
Teheran and the ‘telegraph® .Department, who
worked in haughty independence of each other
and resented anything like common action./TBut
now that these foolish jealousies have ceased to
exist, it is worth while considering whether such
of these officials as are oomj etent might not bo
encouraged to extend their knowledge of the
country by travel and surveys—an object for which
ib
engineers an-d sappers were presumably originally
selected for the service—and whetliertheir superior
officers, who are frequently the first authorities
upon the districts with which thev are familiar,
might not bo put cn rapport with the Government^
and permitted to use their influence, which is
often considerable, in the facilitation of the wmk
of progress in Persia which it bus
xff thou*' laitwn. la. demnnuljuitL that England is
now seriously taking in hand. How great the
weight of personal influence with such a people
may be was recognized by none more clearly than
Sir J. Malcolm in the opening years of this cen
tury. The wise words with which headmonished
his suite, then for the first time entering Persia,
may still bo borne in mind “ in the absence of
books the Persians will peruse us, and from what
they see and heaijform their opinion of our
country. Let us hike care, therefore,that nothing
is found in the page but what is found in Eng
land, and believe mo that with such a people
more depends upon_personal impressions than