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70
any mention of his humble origin in the foregin press. By alliance with the
family of Muhammad Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , in comparison with which he is an upstart,
Reza Shah has definitely climbed another rung on the dynastic ladder and
a grandson would be “ atavis edite regibus There is no doubt that public
opinion here, so far as it exists, feels that the marriage will improve the
international standing of Iran.
6. Another point of minor interest arising out of the engagement is the
bridging, or perhaps ignoring, of the Sunni-Shiah cleavage, which has been
an additional obstacle in the way of a monarch of Iran taking a bride from
a neighbouring country. The marriage cannot be expected to be popular
among the Iranian Ulema. But it seems unlikely that the views of the
Ulema can count for much now, particularly when, as in the present case
the younger generation, already pretty indifferent to these religious distinc
tions will be influenced by the offsetting glamour of a marriage with the
royal family of a country regarded as in the forefront of eastern states
7 In yet another respect the marriage may help to further one of the
main items of the Shah s policy, namely the emancipation of women The
presence here of a Royal Princess, with an education believed to be partlv
at least European should undoubtedly help to extend the liberties that are
being secured for them ; more particularly if the Princess is a daughter of
8. Finally it seems possible that in seeking this union, the Shah may
have in mind an extension of the policy of the Saadabad pact. It will be
remembered that in his despatch No. 189 of the 24th February, Sir Miles
ampson reported a statement in the Egyptian press that Egypt would be
asked to join this pact. Similar reports were current in Tehran! The press
as laid much stress on the importance of the engagement as a union between
oriental peoples, and though nothing has been said here to suggest that it
0 ' ,h * S “ s ‘ b * d p “* “ *“» 2U i ™
rv- 9 -, At * he moment the Iranian Prime Minister is about to leave for
weddin e ea Thave atl ° n t° ?; rran g ements m connexion with the
de Tehran ” the ^l'T 1 ’ t0 etlC 0S , C herewith an extract from the “ Journal
e ichran ot the 3rd June, recording an interview which M Diam has
ll Mufti Vl°r ^ °V hiS 11 is also announced that Mohammed
id Mufti El Gazaerly Bey, now Egyptian Minister at Ankara is to revert
to his previous post of Minister at Tehran in succession to Azzam Bey.
me from KeXan"^ w’Jn if ° f IT* ™. terest that Tories have reached
by the British. ’ 8 m ^ e iran > ^ lat this betrothal has been engineered
Secretarv ftft.he’fW? C0 P le s of this despatch, with its enclosure, to the
Minute Sheet,
UNE INTERVIEW DE M. DJAM
President du Conseil.
Be journal ETTELA’AT d’hier public une interview que M S Saleh
Chahrestam, correspondant de plusieurs joumaux d’Egypte^t d’lrak a eue
avec M. le President du Conseil, qui est en me me temps president de la d616
lu marZe S de re S^ a Arsf P 7’ 6n W 6 P° Ur y pourvofr tx pr^rttifs
Fowf^h d^gypte. ^ PnnCe H ' ritier ^ Son Alt —
de S le^Drlsldent^Hn 11 ^** 11 ’^hahrestani, je fus introduit aupr&s
coutumifere. P d d C qul m a re ? u aa ’ ec 1’amabilite qui lui est
Plus d^ctualftrfw^rt 011 ?" 8 ^ 10 " sur Tenement qui est le
&“itL avTc Son ATt; 4 S e le manage de Son Altesse Imp6riale le Prince
Hicr avec bon Altesse Royale la prmcesse Powzieh d’Egypte,