'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎152r] (309/540)

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No 610, dated Bushire, the &4th March (received 1st April) 1912.
Trom— L ieutenant -C olonel S ir P erot C ox , K C .I E., C .S .I., Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in
the Persian Gu]f ; Bushire,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department, Simla.
With reference to the correspondence ending with Foreign Department
No. 10i. dated 6th March 1912, and enclosuree. ? 0 ' ^
1911, 1 venture with the highest respect
to lay before Government a further report from the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait
on the subject of the needs of that port in the direction of postal facility.
2. In their communication above cifei the Government of India accepted
the view of the Post Office authorities that the postal work performed at
Kuwait was very light and that even the modest facilities now afforded entailed
considerable loss on the postal department.
I cannot but think that a perusal of the present report will enable the
Government of India and the Director General of the Post Office to modify
their conclusions in regard to both these bearings of the question.
3. As to the extent of extra labour devolving on the 2nd Clerk of the
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , the Foreign Department will now have before them incidentally the
conclusions arrived at independently by Mr. J. B. "Wood, C.I.E., who has lately
paid a visit of inspection to the Kuwait Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ; while as to the business
aspect of the project, the figures, presented by Captain Shakespear seem difficult
to reconcile with conditions involving considerable loss. At least it would
appear that the postal business which would fall to a fully fledged Post Office
in Kuwait would be sufficient to enable the institution to pay its way.
4. It remains to consider the present aspect of the proposal to substitute a
formal British Post Office for the unofficial arrangement of the past, from the
political point of view. In this regard I am not unmindful of the misgivings
entertained by His Majesty's Embassy as late as the date of Mr. Marling's
despatch of 21st December 1910 to His Majesty's Foreign Office, but since then
the atmosphere has apparently cleared; the text of our Postal Agreement with
Shaikh Mubarak has in fact been communicated to the Porte with the Foreign
Office Note of 24!th October 1911 to the Ottoman Ambassador.
I trust, therefore, that as soon as the state of the negotiations now in pro
gress with the Turkish Government admits of the change politically, the Govern
ment of India will see their way to proceed with it.
No. 104, dated Kuwait, the 6th March 1912.
From—C aptain W. H. I. Shakbspear , I.A., Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait,
To—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
I have the honour to invite a reference to the correspondence noted in the
v -n ^ ^ ^ i. j nr margin in connection with the possible
Kuwait letter No. 34^, dated 30th May 1910. 1. i t v j. i? ^ l m
Bushire letter No. 1628, dated 19th June 1910. establishment oi a regular post omce
Kuwait letter No 652, dated 22Dd November 1910. jn Kuwait similar to the Indian inland
Foreign Department letter No. 476-e.a., dated ^ ... . -n ■, . in*!,
7th March 1911. omces existing at Bahrain and Maskat.
Kuwait letter No. 180, dated 15th April 1911.
Buahire letter No. 1188, dated 7th May 1911,
Foreign Department letter No. 2036-li.st. A., dated
ICth July 1911.
2. It is with some diffidence that I venture to revert to the subject in
view of the decision of Government previously expressed, but the matter has
now assumed such importance that in the interests of the community and of
our own political and commercial position in Kuwait I am constrained to plead
for a reconsideration of the project.
3. I have attached hereto a tabular statement and an explanatory memo
randum in an endeavour to show by figures the enormous increase in the postal