File 1000/1918 Pt 4 'Persia: policy' [‎58r] (111/375)

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Felegram ( e n clalr) from Lord Derby, (Paris),
D, ..February 17th, 1919 ,
F.-February 21st.l9l9 f
. 349y By Bag,.
"Tenps" this evening recommends the admission to the
Conference', of a Persian Delegation, which, it declares,wbuld
give more satisfaction to the Mussulman world than the ad
mission of the Hedjaz Delegates,since Arabian unity is only
a hypothesis contested by the Arabs themselves,whereas the
unity of Persia,on the other hand, is a living reality.
The ''Temps" recalls offer of Persia to join the Allies
early in the war, and the reply of the British and Russian
Governments on August 1st 1916, v^iioh amounted, owing to
the harsh conditions which it Imposed, to a practical re
fusal of Persia's support. According to the "Temps", this
decision,which closed an invaluable route to Russia, was in
fluenced by the Anglo-Russian Agreement of March 12th, 1915 ,
whereby the neutral zone in Persia was abolished and the
division 0 f Persia thus became an accomplished fact. The
Temps" admits that Persia would have come into the war very
ill equipped for the struggle,tut It attributes this state of
ffairs to Russian policy which aims at maintaining a state
01 lmpotenc e and anarchy in Persia to prepare the country for
ihe establishment of a Russian protectorate in the Nor
Great Brltain , it adds, since 1907 had come round to tl
p °liey, and confined itself to safeguarding British i'ihtfests
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