File 3540/1916 'MESOPOTAMIA 1920 PORTION (1)' [‎423v] (873/1006)

MONTHLY DIARY OF BAGHHDAD DIVISION.
For the month of August, 1919.
1. Monthly reports of the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Medical
Officer of Health are appended.
2. TRIBAL.
Settlement by Pasi of the Beni Tamim murder case referred to,m 2
of Baghdad Diary for July has failed mainly owing to the ineffectiveness of
Mohd, el Sultan, Shaikh of the Tajaj section. The relatives of the murdered
man have removed into Zoba country.
Reference was made in June to a quarrel between the Jinabiyin and the
Zoba over a well near Binat el Hassan. This case is under tribal arbitration
and is approaching a settlement.
Faisal’s section of the Shammar passed through' Kadhimain district
from Balad during the month.
3. LAW AND ORDER AND CONDITION OF THE DIVISION.
In Baghdad city and suburbs the number of cases investigated by the
Police was 523 as against 429 in July. Of these 400 were petty cases. Of
the serious cases 99 were thefts and kindred crimes, 339 cases were tried by
D.M.G., East, 90 by D.M.G., West, 42 by A.P.O., Baghdad, 26 by A.P.O.,
Kadhimain, and one case was committed to Sessions Court.
Outside Baghdad there has been a series of highway robberies on the
Fallujah road and in the neighbourhood of Iron Bridge and an attempt was
even made to hold up one of the Baghdad-Kadhimain tram cars. One or
two arrests have been made, but Shabanah patrols have not yet succeeded in
dealing satisfactorily with the situation. The A.P.O., Kadhimain, sums up
the situation as follows: — *
C( The general condition of the district is one of unrest consequent partly
on the lawlessness prevailing and partly on the. delay in the declaration of
Peace. I am not sure that the lawlessness is not also in itself a result of the
delayed Peace. The Bani Tamim who have recently been buying rifles (from
the Janabiyin in Musaiyib I hear) appear to be the most affected. Their lack
of saifi crops and their uncertainty as to the Garmah Irrigation Scheme is
undoubtedly a contributing factor.”
4. LEVIES AND POLICE:
In Baghdad city, Mukhtars and others are still apt to complain about
the absence of Naturs in their Mahallas. I think, however, that on the figures
the system of substituting police patrols for Natur points is justifying itself
and should be persisted with. ' ♦
The new mounted police force in substitution for the Baghdad District
Shabanah is coming on well and has carried out several useful patrols. The
re-organisation of the Kadhimain force on -similar lines is most desirable at
a very early date, but cannot be undertaken until more police officers are
available.
Kadhimain now finds 4 Shabanah N.-C.O.s and 24 men for train guards.
This detachment with others from neighbouring Divisions appears to spend
most of its time at Advance Base, and I am informed that they are called upon
for duty once every 10 days or so only. I am of opinion that a body of Rail
way Police should be raised and should undertake these duties and the policing
of the railway property.
5. AGRICULTURE.
The only crops of any importance are the cherid crops from Hibna to
Tarmiyh. The Hor has no crop at all, while the Abu Ghuraib has been sown
very sparsely.
. An estimate of some 4,000 date trees in Taji showed that the average
yield per tree is 362 kilos. The crop is reckoned locally to be a good one.
There is still great and apparently unnecessary delay in the payment of
compensation for damage done to crops by troops and labour corps in the
Cantonment areas. Bis dat qui cito dat.
6. IRRIGATION AND BUNDS.
Tigris Left Bank Bund.—Work started on July 4th and went very badly
at first. The screw had to be applied and the Muadhdham section is now
nearly complete. Waqf properties are the chief defaulters. Total earthwork
done during the month was 242,000 cubic ft. out of 3,600,000.
Yusufiyah Canal.—Work is awaiting the arrival of a Labour Corps from
‘Amarah.