Page 146 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

m Part II.

Resident when travelling: about tho oiuntry, but this praclioo has boon discontinued, and
tllcy aro now employed solely in guarding (1) the Magazine and tho Treasury, both of which
aro situated inside tho Residency; and (2) their own quarters and tho csoort atablcs, which
aro distant a fow minutos’ walk from tho Residency."
128. In August 1883 tho Secretary of Stato informed tho Government of
India that a complaint had been roccivod from the Porte regarding an allcgod
incroaso in tho strength of tho Residency Guard at Baghdad. Mr. Plowden
reported ns abovo and added :—
“ I knu\r not whethorany change is contcmplofcd in existing arrangements. I sincerely
hope not. Tho payments from my Treasury
• At ths momtnt I Uvo Ri. 04,000. amount to nearly £30,000 a year, nnd I havo
sometimos as much as* £10,000 and rarely less than £j,000 in my charge. If the guard
woro removed, 1 could not accopt any responsibility for this largo sum, or iudeed for any con­
siderable sum. Bcsidos \lio Treasury tlmro aro tho Magazine and tho sepoys’ quarters and
escort stables, which mquiro a guard. Tho inhabitants of Baghdad aro an excitable people,
and recently Colonel Twocdio thought it necessary to take special precautions for tho safety
of tho Treasury. The country in general ton very far from being settled or safe; the condition
of Basrah, for instance, is so bad that I shall probably have to press for a guard being allowed
to tho Assistant Political Agent. I think also that for political reasons it would ho very iu-
adyisablo to permit any interference with tho Resident’s guard and escort. Tho local autho­
rities in Turkish Arabia have for a long lime past been making a u deed set ” against British
influenco, partly becauso the political connection of the British Government with this country
has a special character ; partly because at the present moment the leading Ottoman officials on
the spot, headed by tho Wali, happen to he intensely anti-English, and partly because tiro
suppression of foreign influence, in all parts of the Empire is a leading idea of the Ottomon
polioy of tho moment. It would be a mistake, which might produco serious consequences, to
make auy concession to this policy so far as Turkish Arabia is concerned. ”
129. From Mr. Plowden’s roport it appears that in 1881, tho strength of
the guard was less by seven men than that of. tho original guard. When tho
new boat Comet should come. Mr. Plowden proposed to bring it up to its origi­
nal strougth. But he was strongly against its reduction, as the couutry was too
unsafe to allow of any dicroase.
130. The facts were explained to the Porte and there the matter rested in
1881.
(ii) Objection to relief of tlie Residency guard without giving notice
to the Vali, 1885.

131. In March 1885 Mr. Thadcus, Dragoman of the Baghdad Consulate
called upon tho Customs Master at Baghdad,
External A., April 1S85, Nos. 230*231.
to-day about some other business, and in
the course of conversation the latter drew his attention to tho sepoy relief,
which had arrived from Bombay that month and was just lcaviag the steamer
for shore in boats, and asked whether notice had beon given to the Yilaiat of
their arrival, for it was not right that foreign troops carrying Martini guns
should arrive and be allowed by the Customs House to and, add tho authorities
to have no notice of it. Mr. Thadcus told him there was no necessity for
a notice, because it was a thing well-known to the authorities from time
immemorial that there is a treasury guard in the Consulate-General and is
relieved every year, and add that in former times the detachment thus serving,
consisted of 50 or 60 men, and it had even a hand attached to it, and when the
detachment escorted the Consul-Gcucrni to the Serai upon visit to the Yali, the
band used to play in front of the detachment as they went in the streets. The
head clerk, a native of Baghdad, confirmed the Dragoman’s statement and
added that a standard-bearer also used to ily the British flag going ahead of
them. The Collector of Customs also said that the Vali did sec them every
time be went to visit the Consul-General and was saluted by them. Tho
Customs master said “ be it so, still I am. surprised at the way that certain
matters are going on here. The Vilait should have been given notice to autho­
rize our allowing them to land with their guns, otherwise we are wrong, ”
whereupon lie was told that his remarks were only duo to his being new. to tlie
pla.ee and unaware of certain well-established customs.