File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎169r] (342/566)

Enclosure 4 in No. 1.
Acting Consul Wilson to Consul-General Cox.
566.)
Mohammerah, June 4, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to state that, in compliance with your telegrams Nos. 467,
dated the 8th May, 1910, and 549 of the 25th May, 1910, 1 have gone into the
question of the Turkish complaints and allegations against the Sheikh of Mohammerah
with the latter, and now record below, for your information, his replies to the various
allegations and complaints made against him by the Yali of Bussorah, together with a
translation of his letter in reply to the latter. I also submit a precis showing the
progress of the negotiations between the sheikh and the vali, and the attitude adopted
by His Majesty’s consul, Bussorah, and myself at each stage. I have also included his
replies to various allegations set forth by Mr. Crow, which, though not coming officially
from the Turks, may be presumed to show the attitude of the latter towards the sheikh.
1 would invite reference to my despatch No. 441/37 of the 7th May, 1910, to His
Majesty s Legation, Tehran, on the subject of the dispute between the vali and the
sheikh.
2. I have also added, where it seemed necessary, my own comments and those of
Mr. McDouall, as recorded in the archives of the consulate. The Turkish allegation is
shown in every case in the margin,* with an indication of the precise document in
which it was contained.
3. j*The sheikh replies that it was never alleged, as far as he knows, that any
servant of his agent was implicated, and the vali never suggested such a thing to him.
No more has been heard of this accusation. The vali, about the 15th April, showed him
a list of seven persons wanted in connection with the Minawi incident. The sheikh
promised to arrest them if they were in his territories. He at once sent agents in all
directions, and in four days’ time heard that three of them were in the Mohammerah
district. He induced them by stratagem to come to Failieh, and imprisoned them.
Troubles with the vali then ensued, totally unexpectedly ; and naturally, particularly
as the sheikh was away, the handing over of these persons was delayed. A fourth was
subsequently obtained. They were handed over on the 31st May. They were all
Arabs from Bussorah, and unconnected with Mohammerah.
4. JThe sheikh replies that the vali wrote to him on this subject and that he had
promised to do his best, though no proof was offered that the murderer was in his lands.
He has had search made everywhere, with no result. The Bussorah police in the first
place made no serious effort to catch the man, and the story that he has fled to
Mohammerah was, he says, probably invented by them to explain their own remissness.
Chilmeran was an old friend of the sheikh and of his house, and he looked on him as an
adherent; were even Persia and Turkey at war, the sheikh says he would hand over his
murderer to the Turks. The latter have not given him the slightest indication of their
reasons for saying that he has fled to Mohammerah, and, in any case, they only
suggested it some time after the murder.
5. §The sheikh says this is untrue; he asks who “ reports ” them to be in
Mohammerah 1 If the Turks want individuals from him, they have only to name
them, specify their offence, and satisfy him that the accused are Turkish subjects. He
has frequently handed over even Persian subjects in a friendly way. Let' the Turks
produce a list, and give their reasons for making such sweeping statements. He
absolutely denies the receipt of any list such as that referred to in Mr. Crow’s letter
No. 46 of the 27th April to me, and Mr. Crow himself now says he has no confirmation
whatever of the statement that the list was sent.
This, the sheikh says, is simply a repetition of the reply the police in Bussorah
made to every succeeding vali when taken to task for their remissness, thus creating
bad blood between Mohammerah and Bussorah authorities. * * * §
* Marginal notes are printed as footnotes against paragraphs to which they refer.
f Robbers attacked a house at Minawi, near Bussorah, in March 1910; one of the robbers said to be
servant of sheikh’s agents; reported that he had fled to Mohammerah, and that sheikh refused to give him
up. (Mr. Crow’s despatch No. 22, dated April 22, 1910.)
f Chelmeran, Turkish land-owner, killed on his lands by his own labourers close to Bussorah. Murderers
said to have fled to Mohammerah, and not to have been given up. (Mr. Crow’s despatch No. 22 dated
April 22, 1910.)
§ Many criminals, fugitives from justice, are reported to be in Mohammerah, and when sheikh is asked
to hand them over he refuses to do so. (Mr. Crow’s despatch No. 22, dated April 22, 1910.)