It is stated that the Persian Government will reply to
the Note with Oriental ingenuity that it is the presence of foreign troops in Persia which is chiefly responsible for disorders in the country. In answer to this it may be pointed out that the only foreign troops in Persia at present are small bodies of Russians in the North, and that their presence in all .probability is completely unknown to the brigands who infest the roads of Southern Persia. What is wanted in Persia is firm government, but this we fear is the very last thing which the Persians are capable of supplying for themselves. Here is the real difficulty of the Persian problem. Russia, we are sure, is quite as anxious as we are to do nothing which may break down the fabric of Persian government, for she no more desires than we do a forward policy in the Middle East. Unfortunately, however, both Powers concerned are finding the extreme difficulties which are always encountered when an effort is made to patch an Oriental Government.
