Page 132 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

310 Part II.
(vii) Appointment of Mr. Robertson as Cousul in place of Vice-Consul at Basrah, 1879.
In the year 1879, Mr. Robertson submitted an application requesting
that the Consular Ollieer at Basrah should
Political A.. June 1870, Xoi. 177-170.
be appointed a Consul instead of a Vice-
Consul, with a view to increase weight which his official communications might
have with Turkish officials. Colonel Nixon supported this application and the
Government of India in submitting the correspondence observed (Despatch
No. 59, dated 2nd »luno 1879) that owing to the increased Turkish activity in
the Persian Gulf, Mr. Robertson had to communicate frequently with Turkish
authorities and that these communications would carry greater weight should
liis rank bo that of a Consul. Burt her it was necessary that the local Political
Officer at Basrah should be in a position to render adequate protection to British
Commerce and his promotion to the rank of a Consul would augment his
influence.
53. Iler Majesty’s Government approved of the proposal, but subject to
this condition (Foreign Office to India
Pulitichl A., October 1879, Ko», 201-205.
Office, dated 2Sth July 1874):—
< " It is understood tlmt this appointment gives Mr. Robertson no claims upon Hor
Majesty's Government for his services as Her Majesty's Consul, and ho will remain as hereto-
Jure under the jurisdiction of llcr Majesty'* Consul General at Baghdad’1
(viii) Proposed appointment of an Assistant Political Officer at Baghdad, 1833.
64. The first application that was received for an Assistant to the Consul-
General at Baghdad was made by Mr.
I General 11., August 1881, Kca 391-392.
Plowden in February 1SS1, but the Gov­
ernment of India were not prepared then to strengthen the Staff at Baghdad.
51-A. In July the same year Mr. Plowden asked once more whether there
was any chance of his getting an Assist­
General B , September 1SS1, Nos. 204-205.
ant at Baghdad and requested to be
permitted to fill up the appointment of Native Arjent% if he could not bo sent
an Assistant. In reply lie was authorized to nomiuatc an oilicer to the
appointment of Native Agent.
5I-B. With his despatch No. 45 (Political), dated 31st May 1883, the Secre­
tary of State sent to the Government of India, for opinion, copy of a memo­
randum by Mr. Plowden, while he was in
• A., Political E., July 1883, Koa. US-120.
England on leave from which the follow­
ing extract is taken bearing on the above proposal:—
“ As I am dealing with Baghdad a flairs, I take the opport unity of mentioning another mat-
tor, the expediency ol*giving the Resident, in Turkish Arabia an Assistant, 'there is no officer in
the Indian Political service who has to deal single-handed with so large a charge as that entrusted
to the Resident in Turkish Arabia and Consul-General in Baghdad. The country under my
political supervision measures about 1-1-0,000 square miles, and it is part of my duty to keop
the Imperial and Indian Governments informed of all political events of importance, which
inay happen throughout this extensive country, of the movements of the Kurils in the north
and north-east, of the condition of affairs on the Turco-Persian frontier, and of the relations
of the Arab tribes towards each other and towards the Ottoman officials, with the Foreign
Consuls, French, Russian, and Persian (with the two former ihc corrcsj ondence is in French
while I have to translate myself), with my two Assistants at Basrah and Mosul, with the
Resident in the Persian Gulf, with the Government of India and Bombay, with the bnglish
Foreign OfiiUH and the Ambassador at Constantinople, and occasionally also with the Minister
a Teheran. I have also the charge of an Indian Post Office, which is largely used as a
channel for ti c import of valuable merchandise and of a Treasury. And wherens in India the
duty of personally certifying the balances of cash in the Treasury on the last day of the month,
and submitting the Treasury and stamp accounts on certain fixed dates, is ordinarily assigned
to a young Assistant Magistrate, at Baghdad the duty devolves upon me. It hampers me
very much, fur it obliges me to be present in Baghdad on certain specified days, ret y
litigation and petty disputes among the British Indians lake up a further largo snare of my
time. Then I get a number of telegrams, necessarily in cipher, for every open telegram is
seen by the Turkish authorities, and which have to bo answered in cipher. The Bug us
and the Indian Governments do not use the same code so that 1 have sometimes to coni muni
cate the same message in two different ciphers, and as I am obliged by stringent or ors o
da cypher work entirely by myself, all other business has in the interval to bo put aside.
My staff consists of two Portuguese Clerks, who in Bombay would be worth Rs- 40 p«.r
mensem, n Syrian native agent, an Armenian dragoman, an Armenian treasurer, °"c^r.t"°
native clerks. Naturally, l have frequent business with the Vali and other Ottoman o icia s.
! Very little can be done in Baghdad by despatch willing, and at the same t me it i» 1,0
always <*« nvr-niciit or proper that 1 should go in person to the Vali or his suuordina c^>. 11
yet I have no person on whom I can rely to send in my place. The native agent an 10
Armenian dragoman aro local Christians who carry uo weight and who are really afraid o e .1 .

Ji 1