'File E5. Murder of Sheikh Selman bin Diaij and 25 others on the 3rd December 1900 at Deraya by the Behaih' [‎93r] (185/252)

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{Received on 6th June with Political Secretary's letter No. 21, dated the 20th May 1903.)
Poreign Office to India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. .
May 9th, 1904.
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 2oth March, I am directed by the
M-irquess of Lansdowne to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of
State for India, a copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Ambassador at Con
stantinople on the subject of the murder of Sheikh Selman and his followers near
Katif in December 19 )0.
It will be seen that Sir N. O'Conor hesitates to act upon the instructions
recently sent to him until he hears whether the persons stated to have been
killed in the engagement between the Turkish forces and the ofi'ending tribes
are or are not the same as those accused of the murders.
The only information which has been received on this subject is contained
in the Note from the Porte, enclosed in Sir N. 0'Conor's despatch No. 50, of
the 26th of January last, supplemented by the assertion of the Turkish Minister
of the Interior, as reported in Sir N. O'Conor's further despatch No. 115, of the
23rd February.
Lcrd Lansdowne notes that both these despatches have been communi
cated to the Government of India and that in Mr. Secretary Brodrick's des
patch No, 11, of the 19th February, in which Sir N. O'Conor's No. 50 was
enclosed, it was suggested that Colonel Kemball should endeavour to ascertain
whether the individuals mentioned in the Turkish Note wer ^ those actually con
cerned in the murders. No reply appears to have been received to this sug
gestion.
It would in Lord Lansdowne's opinion be desirable to ascertain whether
the Sheikh of Bahrein has been made aware of the statement of the Turkish |
Government that six members of the offending tribe have been killed, and that
besides these six individuals no other person was implicated in the murders.
I am to suggest that Colonel Kemball should be requested to report by tele
graph on this point.
In the meantime Lord Lansdowne would propose to inform Sir N. O 'Conor '
that an enquiry will be addressed to Colonel Kemball as above suggested, but '
f that, unless any further information can be obtained from the Sheikh or from the
Turkish Government, His Excellency should make the communication to the
Porte as directed in Lord Lansdowne's despatch No. 132 of the 12th ultimo.
Sir N. 0' Conor to Marquess of Lansdoicne.
I am, etc.,
(Sd.) T. H. SANDERSON.
Constantinople ;
19th Jpril 1904.
No. 286.
Mr Lord,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Lordship's despatch
No. 132, of the 12th instant, in which Your Lordship requests me to inform the
Turkish Government that as they have been unable to obtain compensation
from the Behaihi for the murder of Sheikh Selman and other relatives of the
Sheikh of Bahrein, His Majesty's Government enn no longer dissuade the
Sheikh from resorting to such steps as he may think necessary for this purpose.