PERSIA. 



PERU. 



623 



After the election Mr. Quay offered a reward of 

 $10,000 for information leading to the conviction 

 of any one bribing, or attempting to bribe, a mem- 

 ?r of the Legislature during the senatorial contest ; 

 id Mr. Wanamaker offered $20,000 for information 

 ecuring the conviction of any one giving, offering, 

 or taking bribes. 



PERSIA, an absolute monarchy in Asia. Muz- 

 iffereddin, born March 25, 1853, succeeded his 

 ither, Nasreddin, as Shah in Shah, or Emperor, on 

 lay 1, 1896. The Valiahd, or heir apparent, is Mo- 

 lamtned Ali Mirza, born in 1872. 

 Area and Population. The area is about 628,- 

 square miles, with a population estimated at 

 3,904,000, of whom 8,000,000 are Shiites, 800,000 

 Sunnites, 45,000 Armenian and 25,000 Nestorian 

 Christians, 25,000 .Jews, and 9,000 Guebres. The 

 European residents do not exceed 800. 

 Finances. Every village and district is required 

 > pay in kind or cash a collective tax, the amount 

 of which is fixed by the assessor from time to time. 

 In this way about 82 per cent, of the revenue is 

 lised, the burden falling upon the laboring classes. 

 Customs supply 15 per cent., and the post office and 

 lining and other concessions 3 per cent. A foreign 

 loan of 500,000 was raised in 1892 to indemnify 

 the tobacco company for a canceled concession, 

 he expenditures are chiefly for the army, pen- 

 sions, the court, allowances to princes, general and 

 local administration, and education. The total 

 evenue was estimated for 1898 at 1,470,000. The 

 irmy numbers 24,500 men, while 53,520 trained and 

 intrained men are liable to be called into the serv- 



There are three armed steamers. 

 Commerce and Production. The staple agri- 

 3ultural products are wheat, barley, and rice. About 

 36,100 pounds of silk are produced annually in 

 lorthern Persia, two thirds of which is exported. 

 The export of opium is estimated at 13,000 cases, 

 a,nd the production is increasing, the Persian drug 

 being in demand both for medicinal purposes in 

 Europe and for smoking in China. The annual ex- 

 port of tobacco is over 12,000,000 pounds; of cotton, 

 9,934,400 pounds ; of wool, 7,714,000 pounds. The 

 carpets exported each year are worth over $700,000. 

 Dates are grown in the valleys,and plains from 50 to 

 150 miles inland from the Persian Gulf. The pro- 

 duction is 500,000 hundredweight a year, half of 

 which is exported to India, Europe, America, and 

 Africa. The dates consumed in Persia are not all 

 used as food. Large quantities are manufactured 

 into syrups, spirits, and vinegar. Other exports 

 are pearls, turquoises, shells, and woven stuffs. The 

 total value of the foreign trade was estimated for 

 1897 at $37,500,000. 



The Political Situation. Political and eco- 

 nomic conditions have grown worse since the death 

 of Nasreddin. In March, 1898, the province of Kir- 

 nan was in rebellion. The people of southern 

 ^ersia have for a long time been smuggling in Mar- 

 tini rifles and ammunition. In February, Abdul 

 m Khan, a friend of the English, was made 

 [inister of Finance, but in June the Grand Vizier, 

 Lmin ed Dauleh, resigned, and the Minister of 

 foreign Affairs, Mushir ed Dauleh, organized a new 

 Iministration. Bread riots occurred at Tabriz 

 ind other places in the summer. Officials and 

 icrchants who had bought up the grain had their 

 louses destroyed and their granaries plundered. 

 ?euds occurred between the followers of rival 

 priests. The British sought in the anarchical state 

 :>f the country to strengthen their political position 

 in southern Persia. In connection with a frontier 

 survey a military force was massed on the borders 

 of British Baluchistan and the tribes were brought 

 into subjection. In some places the British troops 

 crossed over into Persian territory. The British 



Government had promoted the negotiation of a 

 loan of 1,250,000 which a number of English banks 

 contracted to make to the government of the Shah 

 on the security of the customs revenue of southern 

 Persia. The Russian Government forbade the Per- 

 sian Government to conclude the loan, offering to 

 advance a larger sum on the security of the cus- 

 toms of the whole of Persia. 



PERU, a republic in South America. The legis- 

 lative power is vested in the Congress, consisting of 

 a Senate of 48 members, elected by departments, 

 and a House of Representatives containing 108 

 members, elected by provinces, members of both 

 houses for the term of six years, a third being re- 

 newed every two years. The President is elected for 

 four years. Nicolas de Pierola was elected President 

 in 1895 for the term ending Sept. 10, 1899. The 

 Council of Ministers in the beginning of 1898 was 

 composed as follows : President of the Council and 

 Minister of Justice, Worship. Public Instruction, 

 and Public Charity, Dr. Manuel P. Olaechea ; Min- 

 ister of Foreign Affairs, E. de la Riva Aguero ; 

 Minister of the Interior, Lorenzo Arrieta; Minister 

 of Finance and Commerce, S. Rey ; Minister of 

 War and Marine, Col. J. R. de LaPuente; Minister 

 of Fomento, M. I. Cuadross. 



Area and Population. The area of Peru is 

 463,747 square miles, not including the province of 

 Tacna, area 8,685 square miles, occupied by Chili for 

 twelve years under an agreement that the popula- 

 tion should decide in 1894 whether they should 

 continue to live under the Chilian flag or return to 

 Peru. The population of Peru is estimated at 

 2,980,000, of whom 462,000 are of pure Spanish 

 descent, 600,000 of mixed race, 1,500,000 civilized 

 Indians, 350,000 uncivilized Indians. 18,000 Euro- 

 pean settlers, and 50,000 Chinese and other Asiatics. 



Commerce and Production. The exports of 

 cotton in 1895 were about 12,000,000 pounds. Of cof- 

 fee 2,300,000 pounds are exported annually. The 

 Peruvian Corporation, having obtained a concession 

 of 5,000,000 acres in central Peru, is establishing com- 

 munications by way of the Amazon and the Ucayali 

 with the coffee district of Chanchamayo and the val- 

 ley of the Perene. The sugar production of 1897 was 

 65,000 tons. Other cultivated products are cacao, 

 rice, tobacco, corn, wine, and spirits. The hair of 

 the alpaca and vicuna is exported. India rubber, cin- 

 chona and other medicinal plants, and dyes are ob- 

 tained from the forests. The export of coca leaves 

 is important, amounting to 380,000 kilogrammes a 

 year, besides which 3,407 kilogrammes of cocaine 

 were exported in 1895. The mineral claims re- 

 corded in 1897 reached 3,475. including silver, gold, 

 lead, zinc, quicksilver, coal, salt, sulphur, and petro- 

 leum. The silver production in 1896 was 3.300.000 

 ounces. The oil fields are extensive, but, owing to 

 the fitful flow and inferior quality, the wells have 

 not proved profitable. 



Navigation. During 1896 there were entered 

 at the port of Callao 525 vessels above 50 tons, of 

 592,783 tons, and at Trujillo 284 vessels, of 446.-VJO 

 tons. 



The merchant marine in 1896 numbered 36 vessels 

 above 50 tons, having an aggregate tonnage of 

 9,953, and 96 smaller vessels, of 1.246 tons. 



Communications. Of 924 miles of railroads 800 

 belong to the state. The total cost of construction 

 has been 36,000,000 sterling. 



The Government telegraph lines had a total 

 length of 1,491 miles in 1896, during which year 

 88,326 messages were transmitted. 



Politics. Owing to dissensions among its mem- 

 bers, the Cabinet was reorganized on May 17. 1898, 

 as follows: Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, 

 Sefior Loayza : Minister of War, M. I. Cuadros; 

 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sefior Porras ; Minister 



