File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎185v] (366/508)

of British interests on the spot, apparent. Granted that it is to be desired that
or. dfiusu mteiosta ij unaided and alone, he cannot do so now-
some day the Amir should sia _ recosnise a single head and take to
granted that the Subehi may some cL 5 VP f Granted that fends
neieeful and orderly pursuits, they have not done so yet. Granted mat tends
si“ 1 ittmgri tam m. Hi, MtiluJe i. not tbnt of j
frtnd Granted that a few years hence we may be secure from annoyance and
friend. Granted t •’ protectorate, we have recently been annoyed
ami inMUe^withi^rifle^hot^f^oiii' own Police Station at Sheikh Othman.
Granted that agriculture in our Protectorate has great possibihtes, theie are
still many barren tracts.
f
LUOtU-J
78 In brief, our task in South-Western Arabia is still not completed.
When Lord Cornwallis in 1805 so strongly advocated the policy of non-
interference in India he miscalculated the conditions of Asiatic Society and
ov erlooked the consideration that Empires must res on moral founda ions.
Sir John Malcolm’s views were clearly more sound when he wrote: “We
must alike avoid the minute and vexatious interference which lessens their
nower and utility and that more baneful course which satisfied with their
fulfilling the general conditions of their alliance gives a blind support to their
authority, however ruinous its measures to the prosperity of the country and
the happiness of its inhabitants.
79 In South-Western Arabia there are portions of the Protectorate where
there is’ practically no regular authority and where even t l ® ,f c “ era j C ^ “f,!
of the treaties entered into with nommal rulers are not fulfilled I* such ds
of the treaties entered into wiiu ij.uiuiu.ai ^ ^
tricts there is and has been for years past a necessity for some strong power
to intervene. In other portions of the Protectorate it would_ also be politic to
very Gradually but firmly exercise that influence which has in India had such
unique and marvellous results. The present condition of the Aden Protec
torate is no worse than was the condition of the province of Kathiawar a com
paratively few years ago. Kathiawar is to-day one of the most settled an
well-administered districts of the Indian Empiie.
80. In his letter No. 72, dated the 24th March 1904, General Maitland
dwelt upon the differences existing between the boundary of the Ad n ■
tectorate and that of Afghanistan. He compared the Protectorate to the
Punjab. I have above compared it to Kathiawar.
81 Now that our boundary has been demarcated we are gradually hut
surelv coming into closer touch with more distant tribes and more than ever
is it desirable, or rather necessary, that our^ immediate neighbours should h^
friendly and useful. At this moment there is no single State of the P
torate, with the exception perhaps of the single Township of Moka , > .
there can be said to he anything in the form of a regmar Police or re 0
forces of any kind.
82. It is time that measures were taken to encourage more regular and
effective arrangements for the preservation of the peace and older in e •
And in districts where there is no central authority capable of effectin, sue
measures it behoves us to ourselves intervene.
83. It was as long ago as the 5 th January 1865 that the Goyernmen
Bombay wrote in their despatch No. 30 that “it was not our business o
one tribe in attacking another, especially when the tribe attacked was a P
with us. ” I would urge that it is our business to now more ful ]y un(1 ° r f *
the moral and general responsibilities for that peace and progress ci ® C01 J
which we have now finally taken upon ourselves to demarcate as part oi inn
Empire, and not part of the Ottoman Empire.
8 ‘,. On the other side of the border in Ottoman territory we have lately
seen the display of a fixed determination to effectually interfere m t e j en
administration* of the district. Revenue has for years past been collected
a more or less effective administration has been dir ectly exercised.