File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎173r] (350/566)

realises this better than he does. The value of the personal property which he
inherited from his father on the Turkish bank of the river is probably not less than
250,000L, and it is not reasonable to suppose that as long as the vali treats him with
tolerable consideration he will court difficulties in connection with his property, or
^yOpardise the peace and prosperity of his tribal tenants by lightly incurring the hostility
of the Bussorah authorities.
In the case of the vali the position is quite different. He may have an easier
task when he is on good terms with the sheikh, but he has the support of his Govern
ment when he is not. He is here to-day and gone to-morrow, and has no personal stake
or local interest, and for the rest is imbued with the chronic Turkish idea that the
Sheikhs of Mohammerah and Koweit are the chief obstacles to the realisation of
Turkish ambition to reduce the Arab population of Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. to the condition of
serfs destitute of any hereditary right to the land which they occupy.
I should add finally that I showed His Majesty’s consul at Bussorah the draft of
the letter to which this prbcis is appended, and asked him whether he had any
information which would tend to refute or throw doubt upon the genuineness of the
sheikh’s replies to various allegations made by the Turks. He replied that he was not
now, and never had been in a position to sift the truth of the allegations made by the
Turks ; that the latter were invariably untruthful, and that, situated as he was in
Bussorah, he had no opportunities for applying an independent test to the accounts
given him by the Turks of the recent troubles or of others. He added that should
His Majesty’s Embassy ask him to submit evidence in support of the vali’s allegations
or of his own statements, he would suggest that the Turkish Government were in a
better position than he to furnish such controversial material.
I should add that Mr. Crow’s dragoman is a Turk, and obtains his information
from Turkish sources, and that circumstances usually seem to preclude Mr. Crow from
obtaining the views of Arabs on current issues, even if he desired to know them.
A. T. WILSON, Lieutenant, I.A.
Mohammerah, June 4, 1910.
Enclosure 7 in No. 1.
Acting Consul Wilson to Consul Crow.
My dear Crow, Mohammerah, June 8, 1910.
YOUBS of the 8th. I have handed over two halters to Lloyd, Scott, and Co.
(Limited), to be sent up to you by first opportunity. 1 will let you know what the cost
is later. I enclose a copy of the letter of the vaii to the sheikh.
The sheikh now says that he cares little for apologies, as the vali is so impetuous
that to force him to give them from Constantinople would only make things worse. We
have tried once and failed, and, in his view, to try to work it from the Porte, even if
successful, would do more harm than good.
But he is most anxious that we should insist, both in Bussorah and in Constan
tinople, on our right to intervene in Mohammerah affairs being recognised fully by the
vali. That, he says, will be the best guarantee against trouble in the future. I quite
agree with him, and shall do my best in Bushire to get the resident to press this point
of view on His Majesty’s Government. He tells me that the vali has publicly announced
that he will not tolerate the interference of His Majesty’s consul at Bussorah in any
affairs either at Koweit or Mohammerah. He says that the vali is not only impetuous
but treacherous, as is his conduct in relation to Sheikh Khazal’s house, which has
been three times quite needlessly pulled down after having been repaired. Haji
Rais says he had definite proof when in Bussorah that the vali knew all about it.
Regarding the seizure of Mirza Hamza’s property in Bussorah by order of the
court, of which the vali disclaimed all knowledge to Haji Rais, it now appears that the
claim for 300L was commenced by the vali against Mirza Hamza in revenge for his
attitude on the house question, and that the vali has secretly instigated the proceedings
all along.
This is our side of the question. I think the vali is altogether unstable, and that
nothing but trouble will arise as long as he remains in Bussorah.
Yours sincerely,
A. T. WILSON.