Year of the Locust by Tamari Salim; Turjman Ihsan Salih;

Author:Tamari, Salim; Turjman, Ihsan Salih;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2017-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

A Disagreement about How to Fight the Locusts

Saturday, April 17, 1915

… At 4:00 P.M. a number of men and women gathered in front of the Commissariat to hear a performance by the Izmir military band. It was on tour to raise morale for the war effort. This is one of the best orchestras in the Ottoman provinces. I heard today that the leadership has decided to attack Egypt on the 5th of May.17 This from a friend who heard it from a senior officer. I have grave doubts about this.

Later Farid Bey Husseini came, and we went together to hear the Shami Band in the Manshiyyeh Gardens on Jaffa Road.18 I was very depressed and was unable to say a word. As we hit the street I saw Ruen Bey in his motorcar for the second time today. I was hoping he did not see me since I was strolling during working hours. But the Bey is a good man, known for his leniency. After sunset I went with Hasan [Khalidi] to the Haram, where we met with Sadr [Eddin Khalidi].19 We discussed the locust attack. They both took the position that the government should not be compelling citizens to destroy the locusts, but I disagreed with them since the scale of the attack has been massive this year.20 The government had issued an ordinance compelling all citizens between the ages of 15 and 60 to collect 20 kilo[grams] of locust eggs. I believe this is the right thing to do. Those who do not comply should pay a fine for each uncollected kilogram. My two companions were stubborn and disagreed.

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