File 600/1905 Pt 1 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Dthala' [‎447r] (155/174)

Ill#
ML
Telegram No. 215, dated the 12th January 1904.
From— The 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. , Political Department,
To—The Foreign Secretary, Calcutta.
Your letter of the 7th January, No. 59-E.A. Please see Resident’s
proposals forwarded with my 113, dated 8th January. We are unable to
support the idea of Arab levies at present and letter containing our proposals
as to the preferable policy and fresh treaty with Amir of Dthali leaves to-day
or to-morrow. We think that these papers ought to be considered and the
policy settled before the Resident at Aden opens negotiations for fresh treaty
as desired in paragraph No. 4 of present letter, which instructions we should
like to delay.
No. 219, dated Bombay Castle, the 12th January 1904.
From—The Honourable Mr. S. W. Edgerly, C.I.E., I.C.S., Secretary to the
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. , Political Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
With reference to paragraph 2 of my letter No. 113, dated the 8th
January 1904, and to my telegram of to-day’s date, I am directed to submit
the following remarks on the proposals submitted by the 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. ,
Aden, for the enrolment of levies to patrol the Amiri frontier and for the
permanent posting of a Political Officer at Dthala.
2. In the opinion of His Excellency the Governor in Council the propo
sals are premature and he does not share the anticipation of the Resident as
regards the active renewal of Turkish intrigue and encroachments. It appears
to His Excellency that, though there may be some intrigue by local officials
through the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of such mischievous individuals as Mahomed Nasir
Mokhbil, yet that the mapping and actual demarcation of the frontier must
render any encroachment extremely difficult, and that the probabilities of the
case are rather as indicated in paragraph 2 of the Government of India letter
No. 576-E.A., dated the 7th March 1902. His Excellency is also of opinion
that there is no good evidence at present to justify our proceeding on any
other assumption than that the Turks will respect their engagements with the
British Government and on complaint will be ready and willing to take
measures to enforce respect of those engagements on their subordinates. If
these views be accepted the case put forward by the Resident for the enrol
ment of the levy appears an inadequate justification for the expenditure and
interference with the tribes which the proposal must involve.
3. I am further to submit that the principle of tribal responsibility,
coupled with a minimum of British interference, is not only our tiaditional
policy in the Aden Hinterland, but was expressly advocated in this Govern
ment letter No. 5151, dated the 14th July 1802, is, as pointed out in that
letter, apparently the policy which still finds favour with the Secretary of
State, and is the policy substantially accepted by the Government of India m
their letter No. 1856-E., dated the 9th September 1902. His Excellency the
Governor in Council sees no reason to abandon this policy in favour of one
of direct interference coupled with the heavy expenditure which the Resident s
proposal renders inevitable until the possibilities of tu a co-opera ion an
responsibility have been exhaustively tested and proved inadequate. Resort
to the Resident’s present proposals is at all times possible, but it they are now
adopted there will be no way back. His Excellency the Governor m Council
is therefore of opinion, that with the demarcation of the Amin border, the time
has arrived when our arrangements with the Amin Sultan may vith advantage
be revised, as indeed the Government of India have independently deci e in
their No. 59-E.A., dated the 7th January 1904 and I am to request sanction
to the 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. being authorised to conclude a fre^ treaty witli he
Amir of Dthala and which shall include by clear engagements the foliowiu 0
mXers o^er and above the usual terms of the Aden Protectorate Treaties
Free and safe transit for British Officers or parties in connection
with frontier and all other matters;
1
U f-i
i
i
£
m