'Report and Proceedings of the Standing Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence on the Persian Gulf' [‎23v] (51/94)

38
From Mohammerah to Hawizeh the country is desert, so we need only consider
the position of the boundary at these two places, assuming for the present a straight
line across the intervening space.
10 . Enclosure (B) shows the actual boundary at the point where it takes olf from
the Shatt-el-Arab until it reaches the desert which stretches uninterruptedly thence to
Hawizeh. This part of the boundary, which is 5 miles west of that “ recommended ” by
the Mediating Commission, is as far as 1 know not disputed locally by either party.
The sheikh has built several palaces on it, and no objection having been raised to his
doing so, it may be considered that, in view of the provisions of paragraph 4 of the
Perso-Turkish protocol of 1869, his right to this territory is not disputed.
11 . The shaded red line on enclosure (A) indicates approximately the boundary
claimed by the sheikh north of Mohammerah. As far as that portion of the boundary
west of Hawizeh is concerned, our lack of exact geographical knowledge renders it
impossible to lay down the limits of Hawizeh territory with certainty, but the sheikh’s
contention that the ground for 6 or 8 farsakhs west of Hawizeh is and has for many
generations been occupied by the tribes tributary to the Wall of Hawizeh, and
consequently to the Persian Government, is fully borne out by such facts as I have been
able to ascertain. The extensive irrigation system of Hawizeh extends nearly 16 miles
to the west of the town, and though only a few of the canals are now in use, Sheikh
Khazal hopes, by restoring the dam at Kut Nahr Hashim, to bring them into use again.
Beyond the area irrigable by the canal system shown on the map extend marshes
inhabited by Beni Turuf Arabs, lawless tribes, to punish whom the Sheikh of
Mohammerah collected a large force and expended large sums in military preparations
last year.
12 . But whatever the true line of demarcation be, I venture to think that the
boundary referred to in Sir E. Grey’s despatch, which bisects the territory of the Wali
of Hawizeh, placing some of its inhabitants (including the turbulent Beni Turuf) under
Turkish rule, whilst leaving in Persian territory the head-waters of the canal system on
which they depend is one which it would be impossible for us to urge upon the sheikh
or upon the Persian Government. Its adoption would prevent the steady consolidation
of the Sheikh of Mohammerah’s authority west of the Karun, as it would place out of
his power the tribes whose incursions into Persian territory are a constant menace to the
peace of the district, but who are now under the control of the sheikh. It would
deprive the sheikh of thousands of acres of valuable date groves and irrigated lands, and
entirely upset the status quo.
13. I therefore submit that we should altogether disregard the “ recommendations”
of the Mediating Commission of 1851 as far as they affect the Mohammerah-Hawizeh
frontier and simply take our stand on the authoritative Anglo-Russian declaration of
May 1865 that the future line of boundary is to be found within the limits of the map
which was presented in 1869.
This policy will perpetuate the status quo, as is presumably desired by His
Majesty’s Government, and will not prejudice the consideration of the question at any
future time.
I have, &c.
A. T. WILSON, Lieutenant, I.A.
Enclosure 3.
Major Cox to Consul McDouall.
Sir, _ Bushire, June 8, 1909.
I HAVE the honour to request that you will be good enough to let me have any
observations you may wish to make in comment of Lieutenant Wilson’s letter, dated
the 26th May, 1909, on the subject of the boundary between Mohammerah territory
and Turkey.
I have, &c.
P. Z. COX, Major,
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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .