"ملف ٣١/٤ مراسلات بشأن أنشطة عبد الله ملا صالح" [و‎‎٢] (٢٨/٣)

No.:/54
Political
Kuwait,
17th January, 1945
Please refer to my express Letter No.53 dated the
17th January, 1945.
name beln^; used by Abdullah Nulla Saleh in an attempt to pull
wool over the Political Agent's eyes.
3. hen I received the first evasive reply to my request
for an investigation I returned to the charge and said that I
thought the Government of India v/ould consider such a reply
unsatisfactory and that it was not conducive to retaining the
Government of lauia’s confidence. As I was unable to m&Ke any
progress, however, I passed on the ’Ku ait Government's 1 (sic)
reply in my Pdcpress Letter No.841 of the 20th November.
4. On the 7th December, however, Aitbar Lari's clerK
came here and, on his application, the Director of Customs
Innocently gave him the usual landing certificate to the effect
that the tea hud ben landed here. The clerK brought the
certificate to me for countersignature, and 1 tooK a copy of it.
b. The tea had actually been taAen over by His Hi hness'
Secretary himoclf. I nave again spoken and written to the
Kuwait Government on the subject and received only evasive
replies. As far as I con see the tea has been smuggled into
Iraq, probably to Yousuf Ezra's agent in Basrah.
0. The Kuwait Government’s official explanation is
given in paragraph 3 of my letter under reference. I doubt if
it is wholly true, however, because — unliice the Export Trade
Controller, Bombay, in respect of piece-goods — the Tea
Controller for India really does try to control tea exports;
end insists on the production by every shipper of customs
lending certificates from m nifosted destinations. Diverted
consignments arc deducted from the quota of the territory
receiving them. The fee Gontroller has already made claims
against Kuwait's quote on these grounds, and, hud Kuwait’s
quota really been diverted, he would probably have informed me
of credits as well as deductions.
7. I am replying to the Tea Jontroller for India
separately on tlie subject oi these deductions, tnd I shall
send you a copy. I merely mention this case as an instance,
of the evils arising out of Ills Highness' tryin : to run his
government on e no-cot basic by employing a merchant as
secretary end paying him in trade privileges rather than
in cash.
This case is in interesting example of His Highness*