ملف رقم ٣٤٥ لسنة ١٩٠٨ الجزء الثاني "المحمرة: الوضع. نزاع الشيخ مع والي البصرة. تقليد الشيخ وساماً. تجديد التطمينات للشيخ". [ظ‎‎٢‎٠‎٣] (٥٦٦/٤١١)

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from Turkish territory who sought refuge in the sheikh’s domains. Khazal also under
took not to let disturbers of the peace cross the river to Turkey. Last month robbers
attacked a house at Manawi, a village close to this consulate. It was reported to the
authorities that one of the servants was a servant of Mirza Hamza, the sheikh’s agent
at Bussorah, that he had fled to Mohammerah, and that the^ sheikh declined t#
give him up. On the 2nd April Kassim Chelmeran, proprietor of the local newspaper
“ Idhar-el-Haq” was killed by his labourers at Ajariwieh, a few miles below this
consulate, on the opposite side of the river, in Turkish territory, and the murderers
sought refuge at Mohammerah. These people were not handed oyer to the Turkish
authorities. Besides this, it is reported that there are many criminals fugitives from
justice at Mohammerah, and when Sheikh Khazal is asked to give them up he denies
their presence there. We had similar grounds of complaint against the authorities at
Mohammerah in connection with the Maghil case and the murder of Mr. Glanville in
1906, as your Excellency will see from the correspondence on the subject. Last
month Muhammad Bey-al-Meshri applied to the Turkish authorities in the usual
way to remove certain fellah from his property at Dowasir. ^ The authorities tried
to carry out the orders given for their removal but without success, and the
trespassers were supported in their opposition to the local authorities by one
Muhammad-al-Chanan, who, with the followers, lives at Zam, on Turkish territory.
The vali sent the Tabur Agassi, with fifteen gendarmes, to arrest Muhammad-al-
Chanan. This they were not able to do, and were informed, in answer to their demands,
that all the people there belonged to Sheikh Khazal and were unable to come to
Bussorah, and if the arrest were insisted on, the agent of Muhammad Bey-al-Mishri at
Dowasir would be killed in the same manner as Kassim Chelmeran. The Tabur Agassi
returned to Bussorah and informed the vali accordingly. Muhammad-al-Chanan seems
to have applied to Sheikh Khazal for protection, and when the latter was requested by
the vali to hand Chanan over, as he was an Ottoman subject residing on Turkish
territory, the sheikh refused to do so, contending that the man belonged to him. On
the 18th April, however, Sheikh Khazal brought up Muhammad Chanan with him in
his yacht as a guest to Bussorah, and wished to call on the vali with him to discuss
the affair, but the vali refused to see either Khazal or Chanan, and demanded that the
latter should be handed over in the usual way, and if this were done he would be pleased
to receive the sheikh. Sheikh Khazal then returned to Mohammerah with his guest,
and relations with Bussorah are somewhat strained in consequence. Mirza Hamza left
shortly after for Mohammerah.
In conversation with me the vali said he had no intention of giving way in the
matter, and if the sheikh did not concede his demands he would send the “ Marmaris”
to Zain, which is Turkish territory, to demonstrate and if necessary punish Chanan and
his retainers for their resistance to his demands.
The vali said he had some opportunity of studying Sheikh Khazal and thoroughly
distrusted him. His influence was great as a landowner and a tribal chief on the Turkish
side of the river, and he thought that most of the mughtars of the village from Abul-
Khasib down were in his pay or pledged to his interests.
He attributed all the river troubles from Bussorah to Fao to his sinister influence,
and has as a precaution changed or was changing all the local headmen who were
under the sheikh’s influence, and was putting his own men. He said the Government
had now means at its disposal of showing strength and he meant to take strong action.
I have, &c.
F. E. CROW.
Copy of the foregoing despatch forwarded to His Majesty’s acting consul at
Mohammerah, with the compliments of the undersigned.
F. E. CROW, His Majesty's Consul.
Bussorah, April 23, 1910.
Enclosure 4 in No. 1.
Acting Consul Wilson to Consul Crow.
(Confidential.)
My dear Crow, Mohammerah, April 24, 1910.
I HAVE to thank you for sending me a copy of your No. 22 to Constantinople on
the subject of the Sheikh of Mohammerah and the vali. _