A telegram from Teheran of June 24 announces that a
difficulty has arisen between Turkey and Persia. A number of Persian pil- grims have attacked a Turkish garrison on the frontier, and Turkey has claimed a nomad tribe, 2,000 strong, who have wandered into Persian territory. Turkey threatens force if this tribe is not given up or removed to a distance. Nobody ever can tell whether a, message from -Constantinople or Teheran is fictitious or not, but if this one is true, it means that the Sultan is threatening Persia, and threatening, moreover, in a very serious way. It is quite conceivable that, having reduced Arabia to order, he might like a province or two of Persia; but he would be running• a fearful risk. He might find General Kaufmann with 10,000 Russians and the Persian Army pouring over his frontier at its least defensible point, and be half ruined before Lord Northbrook could stir. It is more probable, however, that the story is a bit of gossip, an exaggeration of some of the frontier disputes inces- santly occurring. The. Shah cannot give up his guests, any more than we could.
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