But to get back to events.  After the crushing defeats of the ex-Shah’s two forces and his flight, Russia was still faced by a constitutional regime in Persia—­and by a somewhat solidified and more confident government and people at that.

Tools and puppets having dismally failed, enter the real thing.  Russia now proceeded to intervene directly and to break up the constitutional government in Persia without risk of failure or hindrance.  She did not even intend to await a pretext—­she manufactured such things as she went along.

The first instance is the Shu’a’us-Saltana affair.  On October 9th, some twelve days after the last defeat inflicted on the ex-Shah’s forces, I was ordered by the cabinet to seize and confiscate the properties of Prince Shu’a’us-Saltana, another brother of the ex-Shah, who had returned to Persia with him and was actively commanding some of his troops.  The same order was given as to the estates of Prince Salaru’d-Dawla, the other brother in rebellion.

Pursuant to this entirely proper and legal order, the purport of which had been communicated by the Persian Foreign Office to the Russian and British ministers several days previously, no objection having been even hinted, I sent out six small parties, each consisting of a civilian Treasury official and five Treasury gendarmes, to seize the different properties in and about Teheran.  As a matter of courtesy, the British and Russian legations had been informed that all rights of foreigners in these properties would be fully safeguarded and respected.

The principal property was the Park of Shu’a’us-Saltana, a magnificent place in Teheran, with a palace filled with valuable furniture.  When the Treasury officials and five gendarmes arrived there, they found on guard a number of Persian Cossacks of the Cossack Brigade.  On seeing the order of confiscation, these men retired.  My men then took possession and began making an official inventory.  An hour later, two Russian vice-consuls, in full uniform, arrived with twelve Russian Cossacks from the Russian Consulate guard, and with imprecations, abuse, and threats to kill, drove off my men at the point of their rifles.  Later in the day, these same vice-consuls actually arrested other small parties of Treasury gendarmes, took them on mules through the streets of Teheran to the Russian Consulate-General, and after insulting and threatening them with death if they ever returned to the confiscated property, allowed them to go.

On hearing this, I wrote and telegraphed to my friend, M. Poklewski-Koziell, the Russian minister, calling his attention to the outrageous actions of his Consul-General, M. Pokhitanow, and asking the minister to give orders to prevent any further unpleasantness on the following day, when I would again execute the government’s order.  The next day I sent a force of one hundred gendarmes in charge of two American Treasury officials, and the order was executed.