Page 281 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter XIV. 251
(vi) Turkish Quarantine arrangements on the Shat-el*Arab.
Interference of Turkish Quarantine authorities with passengers
arriving by the mail steamer at Mohammerah, 1890.
375. Another weapon tho Turks found to assert their pretensions on the
Mm* e, M.y i69i, No,. i*i. Shat-el-Avab was quarantine restrictions.
37G. Tho first notable act of interference with the navigation of mercantile
ships on tho Shat-cl-Arab on this score was the interdiction to land passengers
at Mohammerah imposed on British India Steam Navigation Company’s
steamers when they proceeded up the river calling at Mohammerah.
377. It appears that this restriction was imposed by the Turkish Govern­
ment without the knowledge of the Board of Health or the Sanitary Inspector
at Baghdad. Orders wero soon after issued to tho Medical Officer at Basrah to
tako steps to cause the interdiction to cease (Sir AY. White’s letter dated Gtli
January, to the British Minister at Teheran).
(vii) Proposed Turkish Quarantine at Fao,* 1891-94:.

378. In 1891 the Turkish Government proposed to transfer the quarantine
.
.
,
.
External It., September 1892, Nob. CO-74. station for vessels entering the Euphrates
,
See also Secret e., March isos, Kos. -9-cs from its then situation about three miles
(Nob. 47-59).
below tbe limits of the port of Basrah to
the island of Pao. Protests were made by tho British merchants against this
chango as likely to causo serious inconvenience.
379. Captain Trench, the British Consul at Basrah, after discussing the
wholo question in a memorandum, dated
Ibid (No. 51).
11th June 1891, summed up his obser-
vations a9 follows:—
“ (1) Fao as a sanitary station for Basrah without Mohammerah as one too would bo
disastrous to Basrah trade, but would not prevent ships calling at Mohammerah.
“ (2) Fao as a station with Mohammerah a reciprocal one would be equally disastrous
to Basrah, and possibly to Mohammerah of tho future.
“ (3) Mohammerah as a reciprocal station with Basrah makes the quarantine complete,
and in no way affects tho Basrah trade or that of Mohammerah present or future.
“ It has always appeared that the Ottoman power fiat resented the idea of the Shat-el-Arab
being an open river to Basrah, and she has tried to gain an ascendancy over it by building a
fort at Fao which since *hc secs now is objected to wishes to substitute for it a quarantine sta­
tion, which would give her a certain command over the river and great power over the commerce
op Mohammerah of the present and future. The chance of the rise of that port is jealously looked
on by the Basrah Government, who even have put forward claim (verbally only) that Moh am-
merah in Ottoman soil, and so wish to charge the Ottoman import duty of S per cent, on goods
for that river which has in some instances been done.
“At present rauoh inconvenience is caused .by the Turks levying blackmail at Fao from
the native craft for Mohammerah. Thoy have even taken tonnage dues as well as quarantine
dues. During tbe dato season when many native boats coino up fclio river, there has always
been rows over this extortion.
“In order to make the system a recognised principle, the Turks wish to have a quarantine
station at Fao.”
3S0. Colonel Talbot pointed out that it could not be denied that the Turkish
Government had for long a legitimate
* Lottor No. 68, dated 4th August 1902, to tho
Embaiay, ground of complaint against the continued
Ibid (No. 48). breach by both Europeans and natives of
its quarantine regulation. The system of quarantine existing at the time was
regularly broken by passengers by ships calling at Mohammerah landing there
and proceeding to Basrah by boat or overland, and the Persian Government
had made no attempt to chock tho practice. Colonel Talbot therefore proposed:—

f Soaio after tho opening of tho tolograph office at Fao a quarantino atation wm eitabliibod there, and attompla
wero luado to atop votacla coining or coinp to Mohammerah.
Political A., December 18C4, Noe. 2CG 207. hut tho attempt tvai not apparently carried ury far.