File 757/1909 'Persian Gulf:- Turkey and Turkish aggression (Occupation of Zakhnuniyeh Island. Attitude in piracy cases. Mudirs at Zubara, Odaid and Wakra) British Relations with Turkey in Persian Gulf' [‎59v] (123/495)

municipality.” There seems little douht now that Nazim Pasha’s tenure of office at
Bagdad will not last long.
With reference to Mr. Lorimer’s suggestion that steps might be taken to defer the
conclusion of the Bagdad municipal loan, I do not see how, in view of recent events,
the embassy could approach the National Bank with that object.
As regards the expropriation of Messrs. Lynch’s head offices, I have caused the
Minister ot the Interior to telegraph to the vali to see that the provisions of the
Expropriation Law are not departed from, and informed Mr. Lorimer that, unless
the authorities offer a reasonable price, Messrs. Lynch’s agent should, if necessary, bring
an action within fifteen days, as prescribed.
I have further had the Minister of the Interior’s attention drawn to the threatened
withdrawal of Messrs. Lynch’s permission to tow barges, and to the fact that the
existing accumulation of cargo at Bussorah makes it very inopportune to raise the
question at the present moment.
In view of the present frame of mind of the Turkish authorities, they would not
now be likely to entertain the suggestion in Messrs. Lynch’s letter of the 21st October
and that of the 10th November, 1910, enclosed in your despatches Nos. 335 and 346 of
the 31st October and the loth November respectively, that they should be allowed to
use a fourth steamer to help to work off the congestion at Bussorah. In the Euphrates
and ligris Steam Navigation Company’s letter of the 10th November it is stated that
Mr. Abdul Kader-el-Khedery has been granted a permit to run steamers between
Bagdad and Bussorah, and that this gentleman is understood to be in close touch with
the agents of the German Hamburg-Amerika line. At first sight it is difficult to see
why Messrs. Lynch’s agent at Bagdad should not be in as close if not closer touch with
Mr. Abdul Kader-el-Khedery.
The communication from the Porte complaining that Messrs. Lynch’s steamers fly
the British flag when moored at Bagdad and Bussorah seemed to contest the right of
the original two steamers to carry the British flag. I at once caused energetic
representations to be made on the subject, with the result that the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs now declares that probably the local authorities confounded the two
original steamers with the third steamer, for which permission was granted in January
1907, with the proviso that it should fly the Ottoman flag, and that their complaints
refer only to alleged “ irregularities ” ot the third steamer.
As regards the decision prohibiting the registration of Sheikh KazaTs lands at
lailieh, the Porte has hinted that representations on the subject would more properly
come from the Persian Embassy here, but has promised to re-examine the matter. I
have telegraphed to His Majesty’s consul at Bussorah to try and arrange that the
sheikhs agent should move the new vali at Bussorah to again refer the matter to
Constantinople for reconsideration. In a telegram of the 14th November, His Majesty’s
consul at Bussorah reported from Bushire that the “ Redbreast ” had visited Wakra and
Odeid and found no sign of Turkish mudirs at those places, while, as reported in my
telegram No. 248 of the 14th instant, His Majesty’s consul-general at Bushire has since
reported the desertion of the Turkish post at Zakhnuniyeh. I would venture to suggest,
for your consideration, the advisability of sending the “ Redbreast ” to Zakhnuniyeh to
ascertain whether any Turkish gendarmes are still there, and whether, as previously
reported, the Turkish flag is still at the bottom of the mast. The visit of a British ship
is certain to be reported, and its importance magnified by the local Arabs up to Bussorah
and Bagdad, and its effect may counteract to a certain extent the deplorable impression
among British subjects at Bagdad caused by the high-handed action of the Turkish local
authorities.
The fact that this despatch is a report on some of the questions forming the subject
of your despatch No. 312 of the 17th October must be my excuse for including in it
more than one subject-matter.
I have, &c.
CHARLES M. MARLING.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1 .
( 1 onsul-General Lorimer to Sir G. Lowther,
(Telegraphic.) P. Bagdad, November 12, 1910.
REFERRING to my telegram of the 8 th instant and to your Excellency’s telegram of
the 10 th instant, I regret to report that British reputation at Bagdad has fallen to a