File 3846/1910 'Mesopotamia: Baghdad affairs. Miscellaneous.' [‎231r] (470/536)

2 -
[This Docunrent is the Property of His Bri
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 1.
30433]
No 1 .
(No. 579.)
Sir,
Sir G. Lowther to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received August 22.)
that m th 0 trT 0 ? f V tele £ ram No - 1 of yesterda^Yw’thelonou^ 6 to report
that on the 18th July last, notice was received by the manager of Messrs. Lynch and
an Armenian British subject and pensioned employe that, in connection with other
municipal improvements in Bagdad, part of the premises owned by them would be
c emohshed dan gerous. His Majesty’s consul-general, after inspecting the premises
and hnding that the pretext was unfounded, wrote the same day to the vali and
requested him to postpone any action pending consideration of the matter. On the
+ 1 8 4 - ^ j -*p orimer / 2 rwar( ^ e ^ to officially a petition from the manager praying
that the order of demolition might be withdrawn, and informed him at the same time
that he has satisfied himself that the structures to be demolished were not dangerous
I he vah, however, declined to admit Mr. Lorimer’s intervention in the question, which
he said was one of non-movable property.
In the meantime I made urgent representations through the Minister of the Interior
who telegraphed for explanations. But the vali has not allowed these enquiries to deter
him from his purpose. On the 6 th August Lynch’s manager received notice verbally that
the wall, &c., would be demolished on the 7th, and though the manager refused to accept
suclp irregular notice, it was repeated next day, and the demolition began the same
evening; while the manager was further informed that the demolition was to include,
without further notice, the main front of his chief office, a lofty building which had not
hitherto been mentioned.
Lynch’s agent has now sent m through Mr. Lorimer a claim for the immediate
restoration of the land illegally seized and a request to be allowed to erect tents on the
site of the former wall; and his firm contemplate fighting the matter out in the law
courts.
The demolitions are apparently being carried out in this arbitrary manner by the
municipality, who have no funds for expropriation purposes, in order to obtain without
payment ground for carrying through the property affected a road which now threatens
the wall of the British 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. itself at right angles ; and it is locally believed that
the municipality intend to carry this road through, instead of diverting it slightly round
the 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. grounds, and so divide them into two nearly equal parts. The walls of a
garden used as a club by the German community at Bagdad but owned by a native,
have already been demolished and palms cut down without any proper notice ; and the ;
value of all non-movable property at Bagdad has gone down greatly of late in conse
quence of the vali’s high-handed action. His Excellency describes the Lynch case as
one of non-movable property; but it appears to be one purely of contiscation on false
grounds. Mr. Lorimer learns that when the municipality obtains any funds, they I
intend to proceed with much expropriation ; great loss would thus be inflicted on many
British subjects resident at Bagdad.
In continuation of the original representations which I made at the Porte at various
times, I have now sent in a pro-memorid, copy of which I have the honour to enclose
herewith, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who have promised to telegraph to the
vali for explanations of his action. I am also supporting Messrs. Lynch’s demand for
the restoration of the lands seized, and am strongly deprecating the alleged intention of
interfering with the grounds of the 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. in a note verbale to the Sublime Porte,
copy of which is enclosed herewith.
The action of the vali in this present case is by no means an isolated instance of
his hasty and drastic policy with regard to foreign subjects and property at Bagdad.
There have been, Mr. Lorimer informs me, repeated instances of similar actions on his
part in regard to subjects of other Powers. The high-handed nature of the proceeding
is interpreted by Mr. Lorimer as intended to lower the prestige of foreigners, a policy
which mainly affects British interests.
I have, &c.
GERARD LOWTHER.