File 600/1905 Pt 1 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Dthala' [‎415v] (92/174)

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,, who pay him any revenue whatever. But he is the acknow-
edU 6hiS of a wide P extent of" country, comprising the territory of the
Az?aki Mehrahi, Ahmadi, Ilumedi, Dakkam and Sham tribes; also the
group of small clans known collectively as the A1 l 3 ud which includes the
trouhlesome Kotaihi. As long as we have a considerable force at Dthala, and
our money flows into the country, these people will keep quiet. But when the
?ioo^ are reduced to the Political Officer’s escort, or possibly withdrawn ah
to^etLr old dissensions will be renewed, and old intrigues revived. The Amir
wm then require to exercise much tact as well as firmness in dealing with his
rubo dinate Chiefs, and in my humble opinion it is certaiTfly necessary that he
should be in a position to behave towards them with liberality. It is not pos-
sible that he could do this unless he receives some greater assistance from
Government than a stipend amounting to no more than Us. 11 or 12 per
4 It is my belief that a very considerable portion of ^ the difficulties the
Amir has had with certain of his Sheikhs arose from his inability to pay them
^11 sums from time to time. If he had been able to do so, I think it highly
probable that the Turks would not have made good their footing m various
parts of his country; and, further, the trouble we have lately had with the
Kotaibi Sheikh (who claims the right to levy dues on the road) would not have
arisen if the Amir could have made him a small monthly payment.
5 I would also venture to observe that within the last four months three
treaties with the principal Chiefs of the Yafiai have been approved, and a
fourth (with Sultan Kahtan) has just been concluded and submitted for ratifi
cation In none of these cases is the stipend granted with the treaties less
than 40 dollars a month, or 480 dollars per annum. These amounts are not
excessive, m fact they are moderate, but they bulk very largely m the eyes of
the people wffien contrasted with the 100 dollars per annum allowed to the
Amir; and it will doubtless be said by the Arabs, who are quick to make com
parisons, that we are more generous to our new fnends than to ouroM allies. ^ The
status of the Amir is certainly higher than that of the Shiekhs of the Dthubi
and Muflahai. I consider him as the equal in rank of the Nakibs of the Mausata,
and he has certainly more difficulty in keeping up his position.
6. I ask, therefore, for an increased stipend for the Amir, of equal amount
to that granted to the Mausata, and proposed for Sultan Kahtan as a part of
our policy on this frontier. This step is, in my opinion, a most important means
of maintaining peace in the Amiri country, and closing the door to Turkish
intrigues. I should also be glad to see the Amir honoured with a salute ot
seven guns, to mark our appreciation of his behaviour, and the good sense and
self-restraint he has exhibited during the past two years. The grant of a salute
would also be politic as raising him in the eyes of the neighbouring Yemen
Arabs, and as vindicating his position vis a vis with the Turks, who have con
sistently endeavoured to belittle it in every way possible.
7. I venture, with the utmost respect, to strongly deprecate postponement
of the consideration of the increase to the Amir’s stipend until the general
examination of our needs and responsibilities, after the demarcation is over.
This would delay the matter for a year, perhaps two, and in the meantime many
difficulties might, and probably will, arise which the present bestowal ol a
reasonable subsidy on the Amir would obviate.
The proposed grant of a salute may be deferred for discussion till after
the conclusion of the demarcation, if Government so please, but not, I trust,
the stipend.
8. I would point out that the Amiri frontier may be regarded as settled
already, except in detail, and I submit that no awkward precedent can be
created by my proposal. I append a table showing the stipends now paid to
all the Chiefs in the Aden Protectorate. The Amir is at the very bottom of
the list. The Chiefs, who, together with the Amir of Dthala, stand in the
nearest relation to us, are the Haushabi, the Abdali, and the Eadthli. Their
stipends are already very much higher than that which I have proposed for the
Amir, the lowest being nearly three times as great. Even the little Akrabi
Sultan gets 40 dollars a month and the Subaihi sections 25 to 40 dollars, three
t