Page 292 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

2G2 Part Ilf.
442. It was also pointed out that if a quarantine station was established
at Fao, another at the nioulh of the Gulf would not ho needed and would bo a
source of great annoyance to trade (India Offico letter dated 25tli January to
the Foroign Office.)
443. On 25th February 1S97 the Secre­
Hid (No. 204.)
tary of State tolcgraphod to the Viceroy:—
11 Vcnico proposals givo free pratique at Basrah provided sanitary grounds received at
Ormuz and no ease plaguo for 10 days. Guards will prevent communication with shoro during
ten days. This would obviato detention l^ao. Chghorn recommends, what are your views?
Please telegraph reply as quickly as possible/'
444. 'The reply of the Viceroy (telegram
Ibid (No. 230.)
dated 27th February 1S97) was :—
*' I think proposals may be accepted, but Clcghorn must press that ten days be allowed
to count from part of departure if medical oflicor on board and clean bill-or-hcalth through­
out."
445. For a history of the quarantine arrangements in Turkish Arabia, we
might read with profit the report of
Secret E„ May 1898. No*. 10—1C.
Captain Forbes, Assistaut Political Agent,
Basrah (No. 1 (Confidential), dated 10th January 1898) and Colonel Lochs*
remarks upon it (No. 42, dated 2Gth January 1898).

No. 42. dated British Residency, Baghdad, tlic 2Glh January 1899.
From—The Political liciident in Turkish Arabia,
To—Tbo Secretary to tbc Government of India in tbc Foreign Department, Calcutta.
I have the honour very respectfully to submit, for the consideration of His Excellency (he
Governor-General in Council, a copy of a conlidenti.il letter No. 1, dated 10th instant, from
Captain L. A. Forbes, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul and Assistant Political Agont at
Basrah on the subject of quarantine at that port, and a* tbc time is drawing near (March of
the current year)when the signatories of the Venice Convention of 1897 must cither ratify,
annul or modify, the said Couverition, I venture to supplement Captain Forbes’ letter by the
f Jlowing remarks.
2. I have read Captain Forbes' letter with great interest, and I am of opinion that, it
fairly sets forth the history of the quarantine at J3a>rah since its establishment in October 1896.
I have also frequently discussed the quarantine arrangements with the sanitary ollicials both at
Basrah and Baghdad and the conclusions I have arrived at are :—
(a) That the quarantine regulations at Basrah on its present lines have from a sanitary
point of view utterly foiled, first on account of the impracticability of establish­
ing a complete quaraniine when there are such facilities for its evasion ; secondly,
owing to the corruption of the minor Turkish officials; thirdly, from the fact
that it was never intended that it should succeed.
Money in the shape of Quarantine fees has been extorted from passengers and vessels but
none has been applied to establishing a laznret to accommodate persons, Europeans and uative,
undergoing quarantine. It is true that orders have issued for the construction of a proper
lazaret but the funds are not forthcoming. Europeans who are least likely to convoy infection
and whose movements can be closely watched have boon made to undergo rigorously the full
term of quarantine whilst native passengers have been allowed to come and go without let or
hindrance on paymeut of a small “douceur" to the Turkish soldiers who guard the frontier.
"While I write an order has been received from Iho International Board to the effect that
arrivals by laud from Mobammarah are to be repelled which only mcaus inoro bribery.
(i) That great exertions arc to be made by the Turkish authorities for the establish­
ment of a quarautiuc station at Fao, not as a sanitary, but as a political,
move.
At the Venice Conference the objections to making Fao a Quarantine Station were detailed
at length and it is unnecessary for mo to allude to them further except to add that with tho
corrupt Turkish Slaff, Quaranliuo would bo as easily evaded there ns at Basrah. As regards
the political questions. I nesd only refer to confidential correspondence forwarded under cover
of your Endorsement No. 1207-E A., dated 28th July 1897, which shows clearly how ready the
Turks are to seize on any pretext to get a firmer grip on Fao and the supremo control of tho
mouth of the Slial-cl-Arab. Quarantine, I am convinced, will ho an admirable plea to further
this end and once established there they will never relinquish their hold.
(c) That for tho purposes of Iona fide Quarantine no suggestion could ho bettor than
that put forward by the Venice Conference Delegates, namely, that it should bo
established at the island of Ormuz. There no 'evasion could tako place and it
would reduco the iuconvenicnccs of quarautiuc to trade and passengers to a
minimum.