Page 225 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOB THE TEAK 83
Monsieur Bouckaeri has shown himself amonable though at first it
appeared as if tho contrary was to be tho case. Relations with him have been
good*
3 Monsieur van don Abcolo appears to bo a nonentity; there have been no
^plaints against him.
The open condition of tho Customs premises has been the subject of cons­
ent complaint, and tho Department has now given a contract to Messrs. Lynch
jjrolhcrs to fence in the enclosure. Tho godown accommodation is insufficient
jliou^h the building erected for the workshop for tho Customs Preventive Service
Kjuuclit-'S has been handed over for the purpose, Commandant Depiere having
t^nsferred the workshops to the customs ship “ Persepolis.”
A question which is causing some trouble is that of Customs responsibility
jor goois on their wharfs and for which they have given receipts.
The Customs Officers have already boon mentioned and there remains
only Commandant Depiere, the officer in
Belgian Officials charge of the Persian Customs Preventive
Service.
Monsieur Depiere, who speaks English well and was at first very friendly,
has shown signs of a pro-Russian tendency, a tendency which is possibly trace­
able to personal causes. The only foreigners in Mohammcrah are the Belgians,
the German company being represented by an Englishman. Members of
British firms are not accustomed to meeting foreigners, a remark which app lies
more especially to such of their members as are of the typo which hails fr rom
Glasgow, and accordingly they mix badly. Monsieur Depiere did not achieve,
cither in Mohammerah or in Bushire, the social importance which he desired,
and it is possibly this which has made him somewhat anti-English.
He made the sailors of the “ Pcrsepolis ” do a certain amount of brick­
layers and building work in his house which resulted iu a strike and may give
the clue to an assault which was subsequently made on him, though he states
his assailants were Arabs.
Tho attack on Monsieur Constant caused considerable anxiety to all
Belgians.
On the loth August, Monsieur Fourman and Monsieur Depiere were walk­
ing along the canal cut in the desert behind Mohammerah when they were
attacked from behind by two Arabs cariying sticks. Monsieur Depiere received
a nasty cut over the head and Monsieur Fourman was given a blow on the
arm. The assailants then fled.
Such an assault on Europeans, or for the matter of that on anybody, was
a thing unknown in Arabistan and caused some excitement, while it increased
the nervousness of the Belgians. There had been considerable friction between
the Shaikh and the Customs Department owing to the undoubted tendency of
fie Belgian Administration to attempt to neglect the Shaikh’s rights in Customs
Inatter8 and to encroach upon them whenever possible.
The rights which the Shaikh possesses in Customs matters are among his
most valuable assets, and mark definitely the difference between his territories
any other part of Persia.
It accordingly became necessary for him to seize an occasion when the
Customs had neglected his rights and to take up the question, point out the
omission and refer to tho rights and privileges which he possessed under Royal
Airman.
Such an opportunity was given on the appointment of a Persian Customs
official No notice had been given to the Shaikh, to whom all suoh appoint­
ments are required to be referred for approval and sanction.
The man had been acting for some little time when the Shaikh pointed
the irregularity and stated that, owing to his objections to him as an official,
was unable to sanotion his continuance in the department. The official
Ejected to appeared to have been giving some trouble to tho Shaikh’s Arabs in
M t