THE STRUGGLE FOR PERSIA.
The Struggle for Persia. By Donald Stuart. (Methuen and Co. 6s.)—There can be no question that Mr. Stuart has the art of describing his experiences of travel in a very graphic and enter- taining way. We open our eyes wide when we read of Russian ways—of the doings at the frontier Custom-house, for instance— but nature is exhausted when we come to Persia. The courage of any one who ventures on the journey to Teheran after reading this narrative must be simply heroic. As to the special subject of this volume, this is not the place for discussing it. That Persia is absolutely helpless may be conceded without much difficulty. Mr. Stuart has, and gives good reasons for having, the meanest opinion of its powers of defence. That it is in the last stage of decadence is no less certain. It is, therefore, a thing to be struggled for. Nor need there be any question about the motives and methods of Russia. Generally speaking, she wants whatever she can get, and is not at all scrupulous about the manner of getting it. Yet there is nothing in these facts to prevent the existence or establishment of an entente, hardly cordials perhaps, but practically effective. It might be quite possible to make it worth Russia's while to come to an agreement. Her talk about India, See., is mainly brag. She -wants an outlet that is not frozen half the year. Give her that, and other things could be easily arranged. There might be worse policies than to let her have Constantinople. But this is for the future. The fact to be immediately dealt with is that accommodation is, to say the least, more possible with Russia than with Germany. A rival in the next county is more amenable than a rival next door.
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