372 Dismissal of Schuster in Persia f I 9 11 



He takes an interest in these. Housman's personal appearance is one 

 of depression and indifferent health. He does not smoke, drinks little, 

 and would, I think, be quite silent if he were allowed to be. 



" 28th Nov. — Grey has made his promised declaration on foreign 

 affairs, avoiding, as I thought he would, all dealing with the Tripoli 

 atrocities, or explanation as to whether he knew of the intended raid. 

 All he said was that the attitude of the Government was one of neutral- 

 ity and non-intervention, and that he had no ' official ' information of 

 the barbarities committed on either side. 



" 29th Nov. — Russia has sent a new ultimatum to Persia demanding 

 the dismissal of Schuster [an American who had for two years been 

 working successfully to reorganize Persian finance, too successfully to 

 please the Russian Government], complete control at Teheran, and an 

 indemnity. This means the conquest of Persia, and already Russian 

 troops have marched. The old Shah will probably be restored, and 

 North Persia Cromerised after the fashion of Egypt. It is an infamy 

 for which Grey is responsible. 



" 2nd Dec. — The Persian Government has refused the Russian ulti- 

 matum, denouncing at the same time the perfidy of England. This is 

 the only dignified way to take it, and though it sounds desperate, the 

 best chance for the Persians of saving their national life. It is just 

 possible there may be a revulsion of feeling in this country which may 

 upset Grey, though it is unlikely, and a new policy substituted favour- 

 able to Islam. 



" $th Dec . — - The Russians are invading Persia. McCullgan, the 

 war correspondent in Tripoli for the ' New York World ' and ' The 

 Westminster Gazette,' an excellent Irishman from Tyrone, came to see 

 me. He has arranged to give a course of lectures in the principal towns 

 in England on the Italian barbarities. I offered to help him financially, 

 but he said his lectures were to be well paid by a business firm, which 

 had undertaken it at £10 a night. 



" 6th Dec. — The royal tent set up for the Durbar has been burnt 

 at Delhi, which looks like the beginning of demonstrations against the 

 King, who has just landed at Bombay. 



" yth Dec. — Pierre Loti has written an excellent letter condemning 

 the Italian raid on Tripoli, in reply to an Italian editor, asking his 

 opinion on their glorious campaign. George Curzon has made another 

 admirable speech in the Lords about Persia and has drawn from Morley 

 something like a repudiation of Grey's outrageous approval of the Rus- 

 sian ultimatum. It is a great thing to have secured a man of his calibre 

 on our side. 



" 10th Dec. (Sunday). — A letter from Margot which amuses me. I 

 had asked whether I should send her pheasants. She says she loves 

 game, hares and pheasants, or even turkeys ; all are of real use to her 



