Show I 1 I 1 RUSSO BUSSO PERSIAN SITUATION GROWING MORE SERI SERIOUS OUS st petersburg april 22 the situation on the persian front frontier ler Is considered to be steadily becoming more serious despite the check to the persian brigands brigande bri gands april 20 when the russian forces drove the bandits back with beavy eavy losses the rising Is gradually spreading the other mountaineers now flocking to the assistance of the etan and Beg livin tribes against whom the operations are being conducted colonel Konoval the russian chief oi of staff of the frontier guard who for years has been stationed on the persian frontier believes that the struggle will not be terminated until the persians have received a lesson like that of fifteen years ago when a russian expedition crossed the frontier and after extended operations killed over a thou thousand trib tribesmen esmeal i and compelled two tribes to sue for peace the tribesmen are hostile to the russians and mutilate savagely the wounded russians who tall fall into their hands the bandits are well armed and operations erat ions against them are difficult the frontier guard is inadequate to cope cope with the situation and a military expedition Is required to assist them no aid Is expected from persia as the tribesmen neither ae acknowledge knowledge nor fear the authorities at teheran I 1 |