File 600/1905 Pt 1 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Dthala' [‎433r] (127/174)

No. 83, dated Aden Besidency, the 30th April 1904.
Prom—M awr-General P. J. Maitt Awn P R -D
m m, TT » , 0 \r MAITLAND, C.B., POLITICAL RESIDENT A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. ,
lo Ihe Hon ble Mr. S. W. Edgertev P t t? \ ^ •
Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. . * ’’ c ^ lu g Chief Secretary to the
1904, I have the honour to forward Lieufeiantcrionel^Abud^r 21t k Mareh
Rit^lSolh February" 1904 , ^
A bud thinks that the permanent location of a PolitiJnl nw' ^^tenant-Colonel
necessary, but that the staff of AssSnS ^
Extra Assistant Resident, specially seWfprl fn* u* , u ^ , increase ^ by an
the habits and customs of th e P tribes and he kao ^ ed £ e ° f Arabic, and
appointment as Extra Assistant should be confirmed ^ ^ Mr ‘ Bui ' y ’ s
It i .a ap ^ ears ^ me tliat lieutenant-Colonel Abud has reirardpd fbp
matter rather from the standpoint of a First Assistant, than of a Stent and
thinks more, as is perhaps natural, of the work in Adeii, than of what is actu
ally going on outside. I have already recommended the permanent emnlovi
ment of Mr. Bury as Ex ra Assistant Resident, in lieu of the Native Asristant
who was formerly an important member of the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. staff. But the
appointment of an Extra Assistant, employed in the way that both Colonel
lif , v Ud nr a ^ d “u 86 p Py°P ose to em pl°y Mr. Bury, does not obviate the desirabi-
hty, or necessity, for the permanent location of a Political Officer at Dthala.
T e duties of the two officers would be entirely apart, and each would find
himself ful y occupied. The occasional visits of the Extra Assistant to Dthaia
which is what Lieutenant-Colonel Abud seems to contemplate, would not
enable the Resident to maintain the close touch with frontier affairs which is
in my opinion essentia 1 ; Of course it is possible that, in time things may so
settle down that the occasional visits of an officer to Dthala, and other parts of
the frontier, would suffice; provided the officer was well acquainted with chiefs
and tribes, and had a good command of Arabic. But that does not appear to me
tu be hkely for some considerable period. We may be certain that the Turks
Iii T i® Ue * 1 an( ^ difficulties will arise, requiring to be promptly and skill-
tuily dealt with.^ Even now there are indications of trouble in the Yaffai
country, m which ^ Salebbin Omar, the pro-Turkish rival of Sultan Kabtan is
strongly asserting himself against the latter. Should he obtain a real ascen*
dancy, an incursion into the Amir’s country is not impossible, the probability
ot which would be much increased if our troops there were withdrawn; and I
feel sure that if the frontier is left without a Political Officer for any length of
time, very troublesome complications will arise. I think this is recognized by
the Government of India, who have agreed to the location of a Political Officer
at Dthala for so long as it may be shewn to be necessary.
3 * Events themselves shew whether the retention of the Political
Officer at Dthala is necessary or not. He can be withdrawn if, and when, the
country^ in the neighbourhood of the frontier relapses into a state of somethino-
resembling permanent quietude. The point I wish to make now is that an
officer will have to be stationed on the border for an indefinite time, and that
consequently the staff of the Aden Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. should be kept permanently up
to its ^ full strength in Assistant Residents, an Extra Assistant being also pro
vided in place of the former Native Assistant.
4. With regard to the border levy, which as I have already shewn* is not
*ride my letter No. 72, dated the 24th ^ 0r , the , d A e f eD , ce of ‘^ frontier, Lieutenant-
March 1904. Colonel Abud understands that this pro
posal has been negatived; and he therefore
makes no further allusion to it. However, in a demi-official letter to me he
says “ in my remarks, I am supposing that your proposal as to local levies has
been finally rejected, though I am pretty sure they will be necessary in the
end.” I have nothing to add on this point to what has been said in my previ
ous letters.
5. With regard to the new treaty with the Amir of Dthala, Lieutenant-
Colonel Abud suggests that it should provide for the sums to be levied by the
Amir on the various classes of goods passing through his country. That is to