There is little trustworthy news of the advance of the
ex-Shah in Persia, but he is said to have captured Dam ghan, east of Teheran, and it is expected that he will be able to do much as he pleases in Kermanshah and Hamadan, which are in a state of extreme disorder. A force is being trained at Teheran, and the Government think that this will be able to crush the army of the ex-Shah if he approaches the capital. The appointment of Captain Stokes, recently British military attache at Teheran, as head of the Persian Treasury gen- darmerie caused some unpleasantness with Russia, but th:a is passing away as the result of explanations by the British Foreign Office. Captain Stokes resigned his commis- sion in the British Army in order to accept his new appointment, but the Russian Government resented the appointment and thought that the British Government ought to exercise absolute control over Captain Stokes. The British Foreign Office has informed the Persian Govern- ment that if Captain Stokes takes any action in Northern Persia Great Britain will have to consent to Russia doing as she thinks right to protect her interests. The Persian Govern- ment retorts that Captain Stokes's duties are not military at all, but are concerned with the customs, and that there can be no more harm in his discharging his duties in Northern Persia than in Southern Persia. The outlook is extremely unsettled. The avenues of British trade are all closed.
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