File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎211v] (431/834)

— 242 —
This German was the bearer of an order from the Government
to the effect that all civilians and soldiers were to grant him
every possible facility on pain of severe punishment. In addition
to this, a peremptory telegram was sent by Jemal rasha
confirming this order. . ....
“ Many of the tribes had been desirous of participating in
the Jihad, but the great objection to their being recruited was that
they are not accustomed to training and discipline. The Turkish
Government then decided to use them for fighting hostile tribes
in their own way, and was on the point of issuing the necessary
orders when the Beni Sakhr demanded that the payment of the
Agricultural Tax should be postponed for one year, alleging that
the method of levying this tax was unfair. The system in force
was the following:—Should the produce of the land in any one
year be less than in the preceding year, instead of having to pay a
proportionately smaller tax, the tribes were required to pay on the
average yield for the two years. The Beni Sakhr stated that
the smallness of the produce was not their fault, but that of the
Government assessors. Since, however, their complaints met with
no response, they took matters into their own hands and chased
the government assessors out of the country. The Government
thereupon incited the Belkawiyeh to attack the Beni Sakhr.
Abdul Kadir, in his official capacity as Administrator of this
district, was obliged to carry out Jemal Pasha’s orders, and three
days later the Belkawiyeh, with 1,000 well equipped and armed
horsemen, attacked the Beni Sakhr, looted and burnt their villages
and killed a considerable number of notables and others. These
events took place towards the end of 1917.”
ARABIA.
North-West.
Intelligence.
(a) Northern Area.
Further news about the capture of Kalaat el-Ahmar (Hallat
or Harret el-Ammar)* arrived when our last issue {see p. 230)
had gone to press. From it we learn that sixty prisoners,
including four officers, and also a machine gun, were
captured. A locomotive and the station tank were wrecked,
and permanent way and culverts were demolished for a
considerable distance. The Arabs and our motor-gun section
O
then withdrew, unaware, unfortunately, that the garrison of
Mudowara had evacuated their station and marched off north,
*Idallat el-Ammar is the correct Arab name ; but Turks say Harret.
Kalaat el-Ahmar is an invention of the railway people, which has got into
all our maps.