ملف رقم ٣١٤٢ لسنة ١٩٠٣ "سكة حديد الحجاز" [و‎‎٢‎٠] (٤٨٨/٤٦)

sion had chosen as an excellent sanitary station on the railway a place called Tebouk,
about midway between Medina and Damascus. (Tebouk is about opposite the middle of
the Gulf of Akaba, a little further north in latitude than Tor.) Tebouk is said to be
easily supplied with water and provisions, and lends itself to isolation, while observation
and disinfection can be carried out there efficiently. The temperature in summer does
not rise beyond 104 degrees, and the nights are cool. The Commission that chose
Tebouk went there in summer, and the whole installation is already declared to be
reliable—a marvellous event, even if inspired by Young Turkey. I must say that
the only part of Dr. Mizzi’s speech that impressed me was the peroration, in which
he declared that this railway constructed by the Sultan was regarded by Moslems as
the work of the Chief of Islam, entitled therefore to respect, and that full liberty
should be granted to good Mussulmans to travel by it. The argument, sentimental
though it is, appeals straight to English tolerance.
At the same time there are innumerable difficulties. In the first place the
Egyptian Board has just declared the pilgrimage infected, the Ottoman Government has
declared it clean; how, therefore, can the treatment of Egyptian pilgrims at Tebouk
meet our views ?
Again, the Board is bound by the last Paris Convention, where Tor and Suakin are
the only sanitary stations mentioned. It is impossible to deal thoroughly with crowds of
Egyptian pilgrims at Alexandria or at Port Said. Egypt has spent large sums on
bringing the station of Tor to a marvellous state of efficiency and comfort, and it
would be ridiculous to suppose that Egypt can equip a similar sanitary station on the
Mediterranean.
Besides, it is proposed to carry the Hedjaz Railway as far south as Mecca, and link
it with Jeddah. In that case the Egyptian pilgrims would naturally return by Jeddah
and Tor, and a sanitary station on the Mediterranean would be useless.
The Egyptian pilgrims, to use the new railway, could go by Syria to Mecca and
return by the Red Sea.
Whether the new situation created by the railway, unforeseen, or at least unpro
vided for, at the last International Convention, will require an extension of
<£ Rbglement ” remains to be seen. It is said that the newly instituted Bureau Sanitaire
at Paris has the matter under consideration. I doubt, however, their competency to
legislate in the matter. On the whole I see no reason to change the status quo,
especially in a hurry, until, with the lapse of a few years, one sees the permanent effect
accomplished by the new Hedjaz Railway when it is declared finished.
Water Supply to Ships in Egyptian Ports.
This question was adjourned from the December meeting in order to give time for
reflection.
The Quarantine Administration drew up some reasonable and sensible rules for
insuring the supply of good water to ships, the floating tanks being in many cases in a
disgraceful state of neglect and unsuitability. Most of the tank proprietors acceded to
the Regulations at once, though there were a few recalcitrant owners. Against the
latter it might be necessary to use some degree of force. The Egyptian Goyernment,
consulting the State lawyers in the matter, were advised that the Board must obtain
sanction of the Mixed Courts. The French Delegate, standing on the powers and dignity
of the Board, refused this, and returned to the charge to-day.
But, first of all, the Spanish Consul, making one of his rare appearances at the
Board, read a declaration that the Board was not competent to deal with the subject,
and demanded a vote. His declaration met with no support.
The French Delegate read a long speech, affirming the competency of the Board to
deal with the matter, founding his argument on Articles 9, 12, and 26 of the “ Decret
khedivial organique ”—Articles that I quoted in extenso in my December Report. He
declared that, for his part, if the Administiation found that any French owner of a tank
did not comply with their Regulations, and if we emptied his water into the sea, that he
(the French Delegate) would approve of the step.
The President, in a conciliatory speech, said that he believed that the Board would
be able to get its way, without any recourse to violent measures, in the following
manner: If any tank-owner did not conform with the Regulations drawn up, and
supplied water to a ship, then the bill of health of the vessel would be indorsed
with the remark that the water supplied was not approved by the quarantine autho
rities. Masters of vessels would take good care to avoid any such indorsement of