File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎188r] (380/566)

[This Document is the Property of
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Majesty's Government.]
[June 3.]
Section 1,
[19722]
No. 1.
Sir Ci Lowther to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received June 3.)
(No. 349.) ( 11 J J Constantinople, May 30, 1910.
W , TH reference to my despatch No. 337 .-of the 24th instant, 1 have the honoui
to forward herewith a despatch from His Majesty’s consul at Bussorah on the subject of
the dispute between the Turkish authorities and the Sheikh of Mohammerah.
I have, &c.
/ ^ T7T4 A T4 T 4 T r\\\7 r ril T? U
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul Crow to Sir G. Lowther.
j^°- 25 ^ Bussorah, May 7, 1910.
11 YOUR Excellency’s telegram of the 3rd May reached me on the 4th May, and I
at once sent word to Bussorah to the Mutessarif of Hassa Saad Bey, who is acting m
the absence of the vali at Amara, that I wished to see him. He received me m the
morning of the 5th May, and l reported the result to your Excellency in my telegram
No. 21. 8 I said His .Viajesty’s Government regretted the action of the yah and feared
it might lead to serious frontier questions and open up other complications, th t
had been instructed to help them make peace, and that peace mus ® .™ , , . . j
Majesty’s Government attached great importance to it. Our mutual ^ ™™hip
both parties was of old standing, and the sheikh governed his own <"Lt Ln
comparison to the rest of Persia, we had important interests there an d dhd no* want
him weakened in Arabistan. I said I was sure it was possible to arrange P ol ‘° 8
the country better, and I thought the vali was rather vi an T , .■ i:® -j
us an opportunity to intervene before proceeding to extremities. ,8 , ,,.
1 was not ignorant of their difficulties with the sheikh, and he mentioned his tobdof
conniving at or instigating disorder in the vilayet and then secie "
I said I was well aware of them after seven years’ residence m the country but the
policy of His Majesty’s Government was to keep the two par les on in Arabistan
general interest and in our own in view of future commercia eve op
and to weaken the sheikh there would be detrimental to u S . I m^essed on ^mthe
absolute necessity of settling the dispute with the shei i m a 7 . sheikh
directly or through me, and he said he preferred to have us m i , a * , ug ^
did not keep quiet after this Turkey would have ground s o c0 J m P, . restrain him
said I would ask if influence could be brought to hear on e s_ ei ^ threat
and he replied something of that sort would have to be done. assurances
of reconsideration-of the frontier or of an appeal from tie siei something
as he seemed inclined to bend to gentler arguments, and I P re erre . , q tiis best
in hand in case the vali should prove obstinate. Saad Bey P"^
and to tell the vali the question was important and we were no m. 7 w fiich I
I generally gave him to understand that there was consi era ) v m He said he
did not wish to worry him with, as long as he realised what was wanted. He said he
quite understood and had followed our Gulf policy for some. years J^ e at ^ dia
think he said he was there for many years. I suggested Han Reis as an intermediary,
as Mirza Hamza was not, I knew, a persona grata with t ie va i. . , tt-* Heis
Lieutenant Wilson came up from Mohammerah the same S. Alav, and
and the latter arranged to see the acting yali on the o even i nt r of
to inform me of the result. I had a long interview wi i aj p ne w ith him
the 6th May after he had seen Saad Bey. He took a very diplomatic hne wi ™
and said if the vali was all lire he would he all water. 1 thought the o he
interview, as he related it to me, was as satisfactory as could be expected m th^
preliminary stages of peace-making. Saad Bey afterwaic s sumn ^ * s
telegraph office and was in communication with him yesterday aftem . J
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