ملف رقم ٣٤٥ لسنة ١٩٠٨ الجزء الثاني "المحمرة: الوضع. نزاع الشيخ مع والي البصرة. تقليد الشيخ وساماً. تجديد التطمينات للشيخ". [و‎‎١‎٧‎٧] (٥٦٦/٣٥٨)

have been put forward by the vali about two months ago, but shelved for the present by
the Porte.
the Porte.
17. The greater part of the contents of this despatch and of its enclosures has no
-doubt reached you telegraphically, I have, however, ventured to submit translations
?T the original documents, together with a report on the situation, in the hope that it
may not be wholly without interest by the time it reaches Tehran.
18. I have sent copies of this despatch to the political resident in the Persian Gulf,
Bushire.
regarding disorders there, of which you forwarded me a copy in your No. 951 of
the 20th April, I have the honour to inform you that there is no doubt that in the
time of the two previous Sheikhs of Mohammerah, Haji Jabur and Sheikh Mnzal,
robberies at Bussorah were effectively used as a means of bringing pressure to bear on
the Turkish authorities of Bussorah.
2. It is generally stated that the late outbreak of robberies at Bussorah and
Abulkhasil were organised at Failia, and I consider it probable that that was the cause.
The fact that they ceased on appointment of a new vali, as stated by Mr. Crow, certainly
confirms this. I therefore agree with the first part of Mr. Crow’s letter.
3. The sheikh himself has now taken steps against the robbers, and, I am told,
arrested twenty-five. Therefore, whether he instigated them or not, it appears that
he only took action to stop them when relations between himself and the Bussorah
authorities became more friendly. He himself only informs me that he arrested one
man accused by the Bussorah police, and would have arrested another, but he, a relative
of the nakib’s, was murdered.
He also said that if the Bussorah authorities had evidence against anyone here
he would arrest him; but that as bad characters were quite safe as" long as they kept
on the Turkish side, he could not often take the steps he did some years ago, when
he obtained the murder of two notorious pirates, kidnapping a third on Turkish
territory.
4. The sheikh certainly has in his employ as guards (the best use to make of
them) many ex-bandits, and their pay is small. He has only to shut his eyes to their
absence, to allow them to rob, and he may do so, when the Bussorah authorities act
against him. But his predecessors actually ordered them to make their raids, which
the present sheikh has never been supposed to do.
The last paragraph of Mr. Crow’s letter is the opinion the sheikh himself has
As to the Ma‘kal case, I do not agree with Mr. Crow’s opinion that the sheikh
did not assist—my opinion was that he did. But it is always very difficult to arrest
men of the marsh Arabs, who are protected by their friends in the marshes; and as
to the two men, there was reason to suspect that they were wanted by the Turks for
other reasons.
Sir > T TT A x1 t , . Mohammerah, May 12, 1910.
1 HAVit the honour to forward copies of despatches addressed to His Majesty’s
Embassy at Constantinople by Mr. F. B. Crow, His Majesty’s Consul at Bussorah on
I have, &c.
A. T. WILSON, Lieutenant, I.A.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
always expressed—that the Turkish courts are the great obstacle to suppressing robbery
and piracy.
I have, &c.
W. MacDOUALL.
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Acting Consul Wilson to Political Resident, Bushire,