Word: persia
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Majesty should have been able to proceed in seemly state over the whole length of his snakelike route of 2,000 miles from Teheran to Ankara (see map) was itself a gigantic achievement of the two Dictators. Before they ousted the do-nothing hereditary royal dynasties of Turkey and Persia such a journey could only be made by meandering caravan and in utmost peril of attack by bandits. Most savage of all were the Kurdish cutthroats who for generations had defied both Persian and Turkish soldiers, raiding (first into one country, then into the other along their common frontier. Perhaps...
...Persia must learn to do without foreigners!" is a favorite dictum of Shah Riza, himself a masterly adept at playing foreigners off against each other. Issuing banknotes used to be the profitable prerogative of the Imperial Bank of Persia, a prerogative well paid for by the bank's British backers. When they had been well squeezed, the Government founded the National Bank, with Germans in charge, and let them issue banknotes for a consideration. Belgians were next in favor and only this spring did the King of Kings give his Belgian Treasurer-General (in charge of customs) notice...
With thundering quickness the King of Kings denounced two years ago the concession of Anglo-Persian, claiming these British oilmen must be cheating his Treasury since they no longer paid in as big royalties as before (TIME, Dec. 12, 1932). Seething with hate of "the British dogs," Persia's Press, which always exactly mirrors His Majesty's views, called for the auctioning off forthwith of "the Persian heritage of oil" to the highest foreign bidder...
...area under lease to Anglo-Persian by more than half and while leaving Anglo-Persian in possession of its pipe lines deprived the British of exclusive Persian oil pipe-line rights (TIME, May 15, 1933). Observed a cynical Soviet diplomat well posted on Sir John Cadman's negotiations: "Persia is fundamentally sound. They will sell you the country six times over, but that makes no difference. They are always on the lookout to sell it again. Da, da [yes, yes], Persia is fundamentally sound!" It was this fundamental of Persian policy which made oil such a pleasing subject...
...Kings. Such flattery is unnecessary. Riza Pahlevi is self-made and Persians would be proud of the fact were they not so thoroughly Oriental. The parents of the King of Kings were honest peasants. Their village had to send half a dozen young men each year to serve Persia's dissolute Shah and strong young Riza, born on the shores of the Caspian Sea, was mustered into a Persian regiment of Cossacks. He tasted battle chiefly against bandits and won steady promotion to the rank of Sartip with 3,000 Cossacks under his command. For a fateful coup...