File 757/1909 'Persian Gulf:- Turkey and Turkish aggression (Occupation of Zakhnuniyeh Island. Attitude in piracy cases. Mudirs at Zubara, Odaid and Wakra) British Relations with Turkey in Persian Gulf' [‎143r] (290/495)

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[This Docunrent is the Property of His Britaimic Majesty's Goym-n™ P nt 1
ASIATIC TURKEY AND A RABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
1 i
[
[October 17.]
Section 4 .
[32854]
No. 1.
/v 01 \ ^ Lr Edward Grey to Sir G. Lowther.
(No. 6\z.)
Sir *
T ti a Vir ‘1 -pi ■.. , F 01 eigii Office, October 17, 1910.
I IU\ L received your Excellency s despatch No. (503 of the 22nd August and
other reports, in which you enumerate repeated instances of the arbitrary and vexatious
treatment ol British subjects m Asiatic Turkey, and, further, draw my attention to
A, num,,ei of incidents ol political aggression, all tending to a disturbance of the
re^™n7tL h p h llave ,recently marked the conduct of the Ottoman authorities in the
region 01 the Jrersian Gull.
It will be convenient to deal first with the injustice to which British commercial
interests have been subjected.
In July the representative of Messrs. Lynch and Co. at Bagdad was informed that
certam property of Ins firm would, under a municipal regulation, be demolished as
msec me and dangerous. I he British Consul-General found that the property which
he took an early opportunity of inspecting, was perfectly safe.
A few days later a notification was made to Messrs. Abdul Ali, a British-Indian
hrm, respecting the projected demolition, on similar grounds, of their principal shoo
and the arbitrary expropriation of the site, which is a valuable one. This property was
likewise found, on inspection, to be 111 excellent condition and in no wise dangerous
1 he British Consul-General hereupon visited the President of the Municipality
and protested vigorously against the wanton destruction of property on a false pretext
oi danger to the public The conclusion drawn by His Majesty’s Consul-General was
that, m the absence of funds to meet the cost of legal expropriation, the procedure
complained ol had been adopted.
Notwithstanding that your Excellency had in the meantime made urgent
representations through the Minister of the Interior, an extensive demolition of
Messrs. Lynchs property, including their chief office, was begun on the 7th August
and more recently His Majesty’s Consul-General has reported that the property of
British subjects alieady demolished and threatened means a loss of some £ T. f) 000 ■
while he learns that it is proposed to enforce further expropriations, at great loss to
many British subjects resident in Bagdad.
On the 29th September your Excellency reported that British-Indian property at
Kazimia and Kerbela had likewise been demolished, and that the Vali had declined
any indemnification on grounds which are wholly unconvincing.
His Majesty’s Government must emphatically protest against this procedure ; they
must further, in view of the fact that it has originated with the Vali, hold the Ottoman
Government themselves responsible for the damage already inflicted, and, after
receiving a report as to its precise extent from His Majesty’s Consul-General, your
Excellency should present a detailed claim to the Ottoman Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Before leaving the question of these expropriations, I think it necessary to advert
to the rumoured intention of the A ali of Bagdad to cause a new road to be constructed
through the middle of the grounds of His Majesty’s Consulate-General, whereas by
making a slight deviation it might be made to follow an existing road : it is true that
after your Excellency had made representations to the Sublime Porte, the Vali asserted
to His Majesty’s Consul-General that no interference with the Consulate buildings had
been in contemplation: 1 feel constrained to observe that the local evidence to the
contrary effect is of a conclusive character.
Two further cases of unwarrantable interference with British interests have
also recently occurred at Bagdad :—
In the first of these cases Messrs. Abdul Ali, the British-Indian firm already
referred to, were suddenly ordered to sell the ice manufactured by them at a reduced
rate of 10 paras a kilogramme instead of 20 paras an oke, their usual charge: I
understand that owing to non-compliance with this arbitrary order the local authorities
have threatened to close by force two ice factories belonging to British Indian subjects.
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