File 345/1908 Pt 1 'Mohammerah: situation. British assurances to Sheikh.' [‎195v] (395/416)

4-
Inclosure 4 in No. 1 .
Note dictated by Haji Rais-ut-Tujar to an Arab Clerk of Messrs. Lynch.
(Translation.)
Proposed. Draft from Messrs. Lynch to Minister, Tehran.
r
ABOUT a month ago his Excellency Sheikh Khazal, Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Arfa,came to Nasiri and
the Karun, and sent his nephew with many sowars to Shuster and Dizful, and fully
arranged matters in Arabistan. At the same time, all the Khasray and Abdul Khan
from fear of the Sheikh, fled and absented themselves from these tow districts, and went
to the Beni-Taroff, and we sent the steam-ship “Shushan ” in safety until the arrival of
the Azam-us-Sultaneh, Governor of Arabistan.
We see that the Sheikh is incurring all the expenses on this account—the main
tenance of order and the service of the Government—and, according to what we hear,
this expenditure will come from his own pocket, and the Government will not help him
over this expenditure.
^ As long as the Sheikh is put to the entire expense of keeping order in the Shat-el-
Arab for the protection of the country, and in the Karun as far as Dizful, and his
Government will give him nothing to compensate him for all these expenses, let it be
known to you that he cannot bear these expenses for more than two months at the
outside. When the Governor comes, he (the Sheikh) will withdraw himself from the
maintenance of order in Shuster and Dizful, and when he withdraws we inform you that
peace will become confusion, as heretofore.
If you will relate this to the Persian Government, an arrangement will be come to
with the Sheikh, and he will be given assistance in the matter of expenditure, so that he
may always strive to do his utmost and keep sowars for the purpose of keeping
Dizful and Shuster in order, and there will be peace and rest for all, especially for our
trade.
And since we know that the Persian authorities are not supported nor fitted out by
the Government with strength sufficient to enable them to make satisfactory arrangement
even if they were willing to send many soldiers they would not be able to cope with the’
situation successfully, and it is easier for them to come to some arrangement with the
Sheikh, in which there will be ease for the Government of Iran and for the people of
Arabistan and for all. 1 *
Inclosure 5 in No. 1 .
(No 28 ) ^ ~^ ar ^ n y e Major Cox.
Sir
’ T ttawi? , Gulahek, August 31, 1904.
I HAVE received your despatch No. 108 of the 21st ultimo, respecting certain
schemes >n wh.ch the Sheikh of Mohatnmerah has expressed interest, and their tearirf on
our general relations with that Chief. uccinn 0 on
a >^T lth | re f ard to . the first ot these schemes, namely, the irrigation of a part of
Aiabistan by five or six steam pumps, I think it unlikely that His Majesty’s Government
would give him any direct financial assistance with a view to the exeemion^f Uiir^ro ect
e could, however, probably obtain such assistance from the Imperial Bank of Persia
it might be possible that an advance to him bv that institution might, under certain
conditions, be guaranteed by His Majesty's Government. ° ’
The question of the rebuilding of the Ahwaz Bund is, as you are doubtless aware
rom the despatches from me to the Government of India, which pass through vour
° f G ° V ™ nfc ’ which is endeavou'kg to
peisuade that ol His Majesty to advance it a sum of 200,000/. in order to mve effect to
the recommendations made by the Dutch engineer, Herr van Ro-en
the Karunbvthe She^hT^T ° f O® Nizam -es-Sultaneh’s lands on the west bank of
could usefully Interfere ^Cn? wlmn™! ‘kn “V" Which His Le S atio '*
close-fisted man vew l„,. n ,1 ‘ + ’ / know well, is an extremely suspicious and
close fished man, very keen about money, and the mere notion that we were interested in