Page 231 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

ron tiie year 1013. 89
»hc survey party into their country, accordingly all idea of attempting tlio task
abandoned.
A plan had been put forward, strongly supported by tho Shaikh of
tfohanuncrali, for the appointing of tho Nizam-es-Sultaneh as Governor
general of Luristan and Arabistan. Tlio idea was that, by insisting on hia
jjCing given sufllcicnt forces and with the support of tho Shaikh, he would have
n0(liniculty in quieting the country and giving tho party tho safe conduct
tfbicli they required.
This plan was knocked on the head by the had health of tho Nizam who
uas unable to take up the appointment at the time. His Majesty’s Consul
recently visited Dizful and formed the opinion that it would liavo been possible
to have carried out Captain Wilson’s arrangements had the Political Officer
been able to enlist a guard of some GO or 70 men to accompany him and tho
parly- ^.° Huristan tribe would have attempted to browbeat a party so
accompanied while the men of a suitable type, who would not run away at a
gbot, could have been found. His Majesty’s Consul had occasion to test tho
courage of a guard supplied him on a recent tour.
It may bo added that, in dealing with tribes in Persia, it is necessary to
make a certain show and a guard of some nature is necessary simply to mark
the importance of the envoy or official. The Political Officer possessed no such
guard which was no doubt the cause of some of the impertinence complained of.
H. M. S. Sphinx arrived at Mohammerah on the 3rd September in con-
nectiou with the date season. She pat­
Dato soason and piiacy.
rolled the river and bar and also visited
Basrah.
She left with Admiral Sir Edmond Slade, K.C.V.O., K.C.I.E., on the
20lh November, as noted uudor Oil Commission.
There were two piracies on the river between Mohauimerah and Basrah
immediately after her departure.
In the first case an Indian dhow was looted and the Captain killed.
The assailants came alongside in bellams at night and attacked the boat.
In the second case a lighter belonging to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
was attacked by a baud of pirates. About 100 cases of oil and some £50
in cash were taken.
Both cases occurred near Ab-ul-Khasib, within Basrah- territory and out­
side the limits of this Consulate.
It was anticipated that the obtaining of the option for a railway from
„ .... Mohammerah to Khurramabad would
focus the attention of foreign powers
upon Arabistan, a remark which would apply with, greater strength to Germany
than to any other nation.
The measures necessary to consolidate our position in Arabistan has
already been tho subject of discussion with the Resident and, on August
2nd, a report on this subject was submitted.
In that report the danger of Foreign competition was shown and the
necessity for steps to determine our position was demonstrated. It was
pointed out that, once our political position was determined, the rest was
of smaller importance.
At the very time the report was being completed, at the end of July,
the Germans placed their first steamer the ** Pioneer” on the Karun. The
ship had actually been imported for work on the Shatt-el-Arab in connec­
tion with the cargo arriving for the Baghdad Railway, but has continued
to work on the Karun up to the close of the year.
The “ Pioneer 91 was immediately followed by the tug " Samara ” which,
though under the control of Messrs. Wonckhaus and Co., flies the Turkish
flag and was imported for work on the Tigris. Up to the close of the year
these two ships towing two barges each had made twelve trips on the Karun
a&d bad disposed of 1,423 tons of cargo.
v