File:The Persian problem; an examination of the rival positions of Russia and Great Britain in Persia, with some account of the Persian gulf and the Bagdad railway (1903) (14577083060).jpg

Identifier: persianprobleme00whig (find matches)
Title: The Persian problem; an examination of the rival positions of Russia and Great Britain in Persia, with some account of the Persian gulf and the Bagdad railway
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Whigham, Henry James, 1869-
Subjects: Baghdad Railway Eastern question (Central Asia)
Publisher: London Isbister
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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the ,£2,000,000 of 1889-1890,we find only £ 1,400,000 in 1900-1901. The exportsto British possessions have also fallen off woefully,though that is a matter which does not so directlyconcern our manufacturing prosperity. It is curious that so extraordinary a change in thecommercial conditions of Persia should have beenaccepted by British writers without any furtherinquiry. And this is not entirely due to the generalapathy in England with regard to Persian affairs, forI find the same calm acceptance of these sad figuresin an article in the January number of the QuarterlyReview for 1902 which is not only an eloquentdemand for a clearer understanding of the Persianand Mesopotamian questions, but is evidently writtenby some one who is in close touch with the passingevents of the Persian capital. His apparent knowledge of Persian affairs shouldhave warned this writer not to take as accurate* thetestimony of any statistics that ever came out ofTeheran without at least some attempt to check
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X oo XH <W ffl uH O C/3 C Q<o , I P w GREAT BRITAIN VERSUS RUSSIA 337 them. In reality this Customs House report isunreliable and is, in fact, not a Customs Housereport at all. That is where the author of thearticle in the Quarterly has been misled. The year in question was the first in which theBelgian Administration took more or less completecharge of the various ports of entry into Persia, theonly place of any importance still omitted from theirjurisdiction being Mohammerah. Still, as it wasonly the first year, and it was impossible all atonce to impose the full duties and to abolish allthe old abuses which had grown up under thefarming system, Mr. Naus, the Controller of Cus-toms, published no report whatever; nor has therebeen, as yet, any customs report for a years trade inPersia. It is only fair, then, to state that Mr. Naus is notresponsible for the publication of figures in the Statesmans Year-book or elsewhere. He did,however, give what figures he had to one or twopeop

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