File 3846/1910 'Mesopotamia: Baghdad affairs. Miscellaneous.' [‎21r] (50/536)

Cj
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government]
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[37901]
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T* Pi ^
C T I •'
[September 28.]
Section 1.
Sir G. Lowther to Sir Edward Greu.—(Received September 28.)
(No. C47.)
Sir, Therapia, September 22, 1911.
IN reply to your telegram No. 344 of the 20th instant on the subject of the
demolition last year of buildings at Bagdad the property of British subjects, I have the
honour to report as follows :—
l r ou, Sir, will remember that Nazim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , after a somewhat brief occupancy of
the post of Vali of. Bagdad, was withdrawn, and an enquiry was instituted which has
just terminated, but the result of which is not yet definitely known, as to whether the
accusations against him were founded or not-
I repeatedly urged Rifaat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. to settle the question of our claims for the
demolition of the property of British subjects, and he several times assured me that
the new Governor had been instructed to examine the matter and report. I concluded
that this implied a joint examination with His Majesty’s consul-general, and 1 informed
that officer that the new vali had been so instructed, but, on the latter’s arrival at
Bagdad, he informed Mr. Lorimer that he had no such instructions. Rifaat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
having then left, I enquired of the Grand Vizier what instructions had been given to
the vali, and his Highness said that his intention had not been that a joint enquiry
should take place, but that the vali should, after examination of the question, report to
him, and his Highness added that he then hoped he would be able to find a solution.
A few days ago I again enquired of his Highness whether this report had come, and I
observed that a one-sided examination could hardly produce a satisfactory result, and
I reminded his Highness that under instructions from you last year I had pointed out
that, after what had occurred, little reliance could be placed on the justice of the local
administration, and also that no lawyer could be found to undertake a case against the
local government.
The new Governor has been but a short time in Bagdad, and the municipality has
evidently no funds at its disposal. It would seem, therefore, advisable to await the
result of the Governor’s enquiries and possibty some proposal for payment from the
Sublime Porte. The difficulty in which the latter find themselves is that, if the
municipality pays the British subjects the compensation due to them, the Ottoman
subjects who likewise suffered and who are far more numerous will naturally claim on
the municipality, a contingency the Grand Vizier seems to wish to avoid by settling
the matter here.
His Highness recently observed that Nazim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. had been of opinion that the
property left to the British subjects who had suffered would now rise so much in value
as to leave them with bat little loss. This, I said, might or might not be the case.
The fact remained that the authorities had acted arbitrarily and in contravention of the
expropriation laws, and the sufferers must be compensated.
His Highness also added that he had given categorical instructions to the new vali
to entertain the most friendly relations with the British consul-general and to avoid
the raising of questions.
The claim of the ice merchant for 228Z. has also occupied my attention on several
occasions, but has not yet been settled, no doubt owing to the same reason, an entire
absence of funds in the municipality coffers. Recently renewed attempts were made to
arbitrarily reduce the cost of ice sold by the merchant in question on fe the ground that
ice w r as a necessity, and an endeavour was also made to compel him to take out a
licence, but this does not appear under the law to be a necessity, and, on my
representations, the Grand Vizier sent satisfactory instructions on both these points.
The important question of the recognition of British certificates of registration has
engaged the constant attention of the embassy since Dr. Scott first reported it at the
end of June. Both the administrative and judicial authorities of Bagdad have now been
instructed to admit these certificates without any Turkish legalisation, unless the
circumstances are such as to justify a real doubt as to the nationality. The wording
of the qualification is not entirely satisfactory, but I trust that the instructions will
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