File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎45v] (88/450)

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Aden and Idrissi.
With regard to the proposal to knight Idrissi, it is suggested (a) that the
Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. should be consulted, and (b) that Idrissi should take some kind of action which
will enable him to win his spurs. Nothing has been heard of him since the Comfida
incident, except that he asked for a telephone a month ago.
Armenian Report.
The Armenian Report, Appendix A, is strongly recommended for careful reading.
The story is odious and disgusting, but nevertheless hears out everything that has
been reported from other independent sources. Lieutenant Shaykha and Lieutenant
Shurbaji, it will be remembered, gave almost word for word accounts of similar
scenes and similar policy. They were Moslems, and professed to dislike Armenians ;
the present writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. is equally little predisposed to sympathise with Armenians. It
is suggested that some means should be taken to give due publicity to this state
of affairs, in view of the appeals to “ God and humanity which the enemy is now
making.
Lord Headley’s Lapse.
The conviction of Lord Headley for drunkenness is of some importance. He is
a pro-Turkish leader, and has been associated with Kidwai, Field, Rosher, Pickthall,
Zeynab Charlton, Parfit, and other sympathisers with the enemy. He has been made
much of in pan-Islamic papers both before and since the war began.
M. S.