File 3300/1916 Pt 3 'Aden News-Letters: 1919-20' [‎334r] (23/633)

attitude towards Ibn-al- Wazir Minister. , the Amil of Taiz, who has gone to those places to
disarm the people.
Reports have been received from which it appears that the ex-Vali Mahmud
Nadhim is being congratulated by his Arab friends on his promotion to the high rank
i of Vazir It is not clear whether this is a part of the Vali’s propaganda or whether he
^as been appointed by the Imam as his Vazir.
The Sana agent states that most of the Turks in the Yemen are anxious to leave
the country, but that they are afraid of applying for permission, which they know *he
Imam will not grant.
The same agent reports the arrival of a Turkish officer named Hassan Gendari,
alias Bimbashi Hassan Effendi, from Constantinople. The agent says that he went to Sana j
via Aden, and has brought letters for the Turks in the Yemen. His statemen: regarding jj
the present condition of Turkey contradicted Mahmud Nadhim’s propaganda to some
extent. Bimhashi Hassan is said to have stated that the party of Turkish patriots at
Constantinople was in alliance with the British, and that the Khalifat had been
transferred to the Arabs. The latter news is said to have caused hitter feelings among
the people, who suspect the Bimbashi of being a Turkish spy.
This man subsequently went to Hodeida on his way back to Constantinople. The
Arab leaders of Hodeida are said to have had a private interview with him. They told I
him that they were doing their best for the return of the Turks to the Yemen, and that j
Turkey should not hesitate to return should the Powers ask her to do so. \
from Hodeida Hassan Mahomed Effendi came to Aden and left for Beyrouth via
ou Ih® 28th ultimo by the Italian steamer “ Porto-di-Savona.” His passport
has been endorsed lor Beyrouth by the French consul here and vised by this office.
Hassan Mahomed Effendi is a native of Sana. According to his own statement,
he left the Yemen with the Turks after tlie Armistice and went to Egypt. He subse
quently resigned his commission, and from Egypt he went to Beyrouth and thence to
Constantinople. A year and a-half ago he left Constantinople and returned to Beyrouth.
In September last he left for Mecca on a pilgrimage via Port Said and Massowah, but
as he did not find pilgrims at the latter place he came to Aden, arriving here on the
10 th October and left for Sana. His object in going to Sana was to dispose of
some goods he had left there. His family is in Beyrouth and he is now going to
rejoin them.
From enquiries made locally it appears that the family of Hassan Mahomed Effendi
is in Sana and that he had go$e there to see them. He is reported to be a Turkish
propagandist. He was watched during his stay in Aden, but nothing suspicious
was noticed.
Aden Protectorate .—Travellers from Dhala report that the Imam’s commander,
Saiyid Yahya, has written to Syed Abdulla, at Yerim, asking him to send his cousin,
Syed Kasim of Nadora, to Dhala to relieve him, as he is very ill and wishes to return
home. A later report states that Saiyid Kassim, the present Hakim of Nadera and
father-in-law of Saiyid Yaliya, is coming lo relieve the latter by orders of the Imam.
The travellers also report the arrival of 12 Zeidis at Dhala. They say that there
are altogether about 100 Zeidis in Dhala, but t at 50 of them are sick. Later arrivals
state that before they left Dhala they heard a rumour that 600 Zeidis with 3 guns
were on their way to Dhala, but that they are at present detained at Ibb owing to the
trouble there. It is said that this reinforcement is being sent to Dhala at the request
of Saiyid Yahya, the Imams commander, who complained to the Imam th > he was
unable to enforce his orders without additional troops.
The Imam’s commander at Dhala is said to he annoyed with Mukbil Abdulla, the
nephew of the Koteibi Sheikh, because the latter paid a visit to the Amir of L)hala at
Lahej. It is said that the commander sent for Mukbil Abdulla, but he has not gone
for fear of being punished. The commander is also said to be annoyed with the Alawi
Sheikh for ill-treating travellers and slighting the commander’s name when invoked by
the travellers.
Dhala and Kataba revenue is reported to have been leased to one Saiyid Husen-al-
Rawia for an annual sum of 10,000 dollars.
Letters are said to have been sent by the Imam’s commauder at Dhala to the
Fadli Sultan and to some of the more important Fadli Sheikhs. I await confirmation
of this report.
T. E. SCOTT, Major-General.
Aden, December 8 , 1920.