The more enlightened Arab is by nature a tradesman

TCD MS 3414 folio 6 recto

TCD MS 3414 folio 6 recto

[May 1915] The more enlightened Arab is by nature a tradesman, & many of them had experienced the benefits of English rule & methods when on visits to Bombay; though outwardly they appeared to be loyal; to the Turks, inwardly they were glad of the English occupation. Almost immediately they got government contracts, & even the Coolies were drawing 1 Rs per diem & sometimes more: but like all Turks and other Orientals they cannot be trusted, & one can never get to the bottom of their minds, sly & cowardly, they would always, as I found out later on, turn on you if your luck was out. I heard some months after leaving Basra that at electric installations had been put into all Governemnt buildings & hospitals, roads had been built, and the   Political Department had organised a local governement, & the law courts were in full swing. Large numbers of Arabs brought cases up <for judgement> that had been lost under the Turkish regime, mainly becasue they could not pay enough to get the case decided in their favour. I stayed only 1 day in Basra, & after lunching with Lieut Whittle 43rd, then on the embarkation staff, I embarked on T3 a small hogly tug boat & proceded <upstream> to Kurna. Kurna at this

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