Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1922-03-05 | Page 20 | Persian Ruler Thinks Himself Greatest Poet

PERSIAN RULER ins mm GREATEST POET I Tells Petitioners He Is Better Bet-ter Versifier Than Omar Khayyam LONDON. March 4. (By the Ass:-I Ass:-I elated Press). The young Shah of Persia, who recently left his capital, j Teheran, for another trip to Europe, lid to hold a high opinion of him- self as a pool In fact, according to 0 Story told here. h puts himself in a class with Omar Khayyam and con--t iers himself if anything; a trifle hot ter than his grat countryman. As the story is tcld by the Morning Post, a British minister at Teheran called on the shah at the request of Bnglish admirers of the Great Persian Per-sian poet and asked that better caro be taken of his grave at Nlshapur where, as Omar predicted, "the north wind still scatters roses on his tomb." P.nt the shah could not be Impressed with need. Persia, he declared, had lots of poets and he himself, was possibly, pos-sibly, a little better poet than Omar. I Ahnud Mirza. shah of Persia, ia only 24 years old and this, some say, may account for his opinion. He I known English and Russian and talks Prench fluently and accurately and has been reported- eager to learn western ways and institutions. I Mil ui'in-niaiivo iuu majesty is Bnort j .and stout. He takes a lively interest I in sports, plays a qood law n tennis game and. In order to encourage open j air sports in Persia, founded the Im-! I perlal Sports c-Ju). at Teheran, placing! it :t.i dNp.-s i , , ,,i .orownlan 1. I His father. Mahomed Ali, lost his ' throne In consequence of his attempts to stamp out the constitutional S3 em , in Persia and regain 'he absolutism of j his ancestors Ahmed, who was then In his twelfth year was proclaimed sovereign In 19091 and his father was sent into exile on! the famous island of Prlnklp.i where! President Wilson p .... , that the' Allies hold a conferehi e with the Rin. : , shins, as a part of the after war peace ' ' negotiations. lie has ii.ei, credited with bavins kepi Persia from taking the side 0f the Central powers in h.- world' war. oo