File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎30v] (56/508)

own importance ar d a false impression of our attitude. And in consequence
the proposed agreements remained unsigned.
6. The situation has now so far changed that the agreements then con
templated are not entirely suitable. Hardly had the Alawi and Kotaibi dars
been blown up then the Alwai Sheikh, notwithstanding the fact that he had
actually received certain pecuniary assistance previously s ipulated to enable
him to rebuild his dar in territory that was not debatable, re-occupied the site
of the Dar-al-Qabtan as well as that of the Dar-al-Taiz, which had been origin
ally constructed and subsequently demolished by the Kotaibi tribe. This and
other acts of hostility naturally brought about retaliation by the Kotaibi, who
had hitherto behaved with singular forbearance and good faith. Having
assembled the Radfan tribes and received help from the Amir whose suzerainty
he acknowledges when convenient, the Kotaibi fell upon and defeated the
Alawi, and dispossessed him of his territory. The Alawi fled and his country
is still occupied by a mixed force of Abdali, Amiri, and Kotaibi, apparently
with the object of maintaining the status quo pending some sort of permanent
settlement.
7. The question now arises what that future settlement is to be ? The
Kotaibi is in possession, and having lost two of his own sons in the fight is
implacable and claims to retain the Alawi territory that he has conquered.
As I presume Government are not prepared to turn him out, should he
maintain this attitude, it seems to me that not only the easiest, but the safest
course is to recognize the de facto possessor who has shown himself strong
enough to hold his own. The Amir who has helped the Kotaibi and who hopes
to benefit by his success supports him. The Kotaibi, who was perhaps not
altogether justifiably prevented from levying transit dues so long as we were
in the Hinterland, has now re-imposed them, and claims the right to do so
like all the rest. The Abdali Sultan admits the force of the Kotaibi logic, but
for some reason that I have not so far grasped, looks to a time when a part at
‘ least of his lost territory shall be restored to the Alawi.
8. Now it is admitted on all hands that the measures that have been-
taken in the past have failed to secure the peace and safety of the road, and
that trade has suffered in consequence. Transit dues in excess of those agreed
to and sanctioned in 18S8 have undoubtedly been levied from time to time
illegally, though it is a matter of no small difficulty to ascertain the actual
amounts that are so levied, as the dues are collected in many places and no one
Chief knows how much is leived by each of the others. Pillage and murder
have increased and compensation for injury is hard for traders to come bv.
This is more especially the case when the offence has been committed by *a
tribesman in the territory of another Chief, as each seeks to evade his respon
sibility for the. acts of his tribesmen when committed beyond the limits of his
own country. No arrangement which fails to settle this question of compensa
tion can ever prove satisfactory for long.
9. I understand the policy of His Majesty’s Government to be, that having
laid down in the interests or trade what transit dues may be levied and havin 0,
given to each Chief concerned a stipend and assistance in arms commensurate
with the responsibilities imposed upon him by the care of the section of the
road committed to his charge, we should then abstain from interference as far
as possible and allow ihe Chiefs concerned to settle among themselves all ques
tions of compensation. It must, however, not be overlooked that the sufferers
will sometimes be British and sometimes Turkish subjects, and that in all cases
not only will the parties who suffer appeal to the British Government for
protection, but each Chief in turn will do the same and look to us to hold the
scales evenly betweem them. These appeals we cannot afford to ignore with
out loss of prestige.
10. As the result of the Alawi debacle, the Abdali, the Amiri, the Kotaibi
and Alawi Sheikhs have all appealed to me to effect a settlement between
them. I have accordingly summoned them before me and explained to them
that it is they and not we who are primarily concerned because the stoppage
of trade, which must infallibly result from insecurity on the road and the