File 3498/1912 ‘Aden News Letters’ [‎236r] (482/598)

Enclosure ’ '~***« i troni Fore
No. 19 M, dated
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8MAY ibio
SECRET.
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Sr-
17th Weekly Letter.
Dated Aden Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , tlie 26th April (received the 5th May) 1913.
From—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Aden,
rp 0 -phe Secretary to the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. , Special Department.
Please see paragraph 1 of the weekly letter of the 19th April 1913. The Naqib
of Mausatta, Shaikh Mohsin Askar, reports that some 30 of the Imam’s soldiers
have entered Nawa and have been welcomed by one of the influential Shaikhs,
Muhammad Ali Mohsin An Na’wi, while the other Shaikhs have fled away. Nawa
is an appanage of Mausatta and is within our sphere. The Naqib says that in accord
ance with my advice he has taken no steps against the interlopers and fears that,
unless Government intervene, this encroachment will provoke bloodshed and become
the genesis of feuds which will be damaging to the reputation of our Govern
ment Arabs are unnecessarily nervous, and I am watching events and counselling
patience. It is said that the people of Juban, who are next to our border line and
most anxious to come with n our sphere, have resisted the Imam’s men and com
pelled them to withdraw. We may possibly hear the same story from Nawa very
soon. I have so far received no reply from the Governor-General of Yemen with
regard to Turkish interference in Nawa some time ago. I shall address Government
officially on this matter
2 Saiyid Muhammad Taha, our news-correspondent at Jebel Jihaf, reports
that "the people of Jihaf are in communication with the Imam’s representative,
and will welcome a portion of his force to Jihaf with a view to its occupation. I
am calling for further reports on this subject.
3. His Majesty’s Vice-Consul at Hodeida, in a report of the 25th March 1913
to His Maiestv’s Ambassador at Constantinople, confirms the negotiations men-
tioned in paragraph 2 of my weekly letter of the 12th April 1913 between the
Turkish authorities and the Idrisi Saiyid. He says that from all accounts it would
appear that the Porte is prepared to grant the Idrisi a liberal form of autonomy
over a large tract of country under Ottoman suzerainty. He explains that the
anxiety of the Turkish Government to come to a speedy understanding with this
Pretender in spite of having a sufficient force under the Turkish Commander-in-
Chief and’the son of Sharif of Mecca ready at hand to subjugate him, is generally
attributed to their desire to counteract Italian intrigue and influence m the Saiyid s
snhere as well as to give a set-back to the fast growing influence of the Imam, who
has Veen a serious drain on the resources of the Turks by virtue of the agreement
existing between them.
Dated Aden Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , the 26th April 1913.
Endorsed by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , Aden.
Copy forwarded, with compliments, to the Deputy Secretary to the Govern
ment of India, Foreign Department, Simla.