'File 13/3 Arms Traffic' [‎142v] (284/608)

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the consignment to Kuwait they had been given by Shaikh Mubarak reason
to believe that he had no objection to the importation and that consequently the
seizure must have been doe solely to pressure from us and not to the Shaikh’s
own motion, as we would have them believe.
But our position in the matter vis-tSt-vis the French Government seems so
strong, specially in view of the recent French refusal to give us the right of
search over dhows under their Flag, that there does not appear to me to be any
strong reason why we should not frankly accept the onus of having insisted on
the seizure by the Shaikh. At all events I submit that the advantage from an
Arms Traffic point of view of seizing this trial consignment, a fact which
Captain Shakespear writes “ has caused the greatest consternation in Kuwait/'
greatly outweighs the seriousness of the possible complication which may arise
from the Shaikh being proved to have been in collusion with Goguyer & Co.
In the latter case, while we shall have effected what was necessary in the
execution of our measures for the suppression of the Arms Traffic, we shall at the
same time have cleared the atmosphere between ourselves and the Shaikh and
have so unmasked him that he will no longer be able to persevere with the
obvious insincerities and mental reservations which distinguish his communica
tions to us in connection with the Arms Traffic.
Trusting that the views of the Government of India will not be greatly
divergent from the above.
(Confidential) No. C.-iQ, dated Kuwait, the 28th April 1910.
From— Captain W. H. I. Shakespear, 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 tne Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
In continuation of my letter No. C.-o, dated the 2nd March 1910, I have
the honour to report what, as far as I am at present aware, is an entirely new
development in the Arms iraffic.
2. To take matters in their proper sequence I would recall the seizure
of a Kuwait “boom” with arms on board by H. M. S. “Hyacinth”
about the 27th lanuary 1910 near Muttra. It will be remembered that this
“ boom ” was allowed to proceed after inspection but was taken back to Maskat
with her cargo by her Kuwaiti Nakhuda, Muhammad Saleh, Of the course
of the case in Maskat 1 have no knowledge, but it appears that the
Nakhuda, without the knowledge of the *'boom’s ” owners, entered into some
illegal contract for her sale to the French firm of Goguyer_et Cie. # Shaikh
Mubarak becoming aware of this so-called sale, and claiming jurisdiction over
the “ boom ” as carrying Kuwait colours and papers, and over both her owners
and Nakhuda as being Kuwait subjects, addressed His Highness the Sultan of
Maskat requesting extradition of Muhammad Saleh for trial in Kuwait. His
Highness replied to the Shaikh that the Nakhuda had already left Maskat. It is
worthy of note that Muhammad Saleh also disregarded the Shaikh’s orders—
those in which he informed his agents in Maskat sometime in January
that no “ booms ” were to leave Maskat with arms except with the written
permission of the British 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. . This precaution was taken by
the Shaikh, I imagine, to safeguard his subjects’ property from confiscation by
British men-of-war. Such are the preceding facts and the Shaikh rested, awaiting
an opportunity to bring the offending Muhammad Saleh to trial.
3. Yesterday I was informed by the Shaikh that a Maskat “ sambuk ” had
arrived with a cargo of arms with the offending Nakhuda Muhammad Saleh on
board, and that he would be glad of my views before dealing with the case as the
vessel was a different one belonging to Maskat. I went to see the Shaikh at
once, and advised him, that so far as Muhammad Saleh was concerned, I saw no
le^al difficulty in his having him apprehended at once for the same offence and on
the same grounds, on which he had already asked the Sultan of Maskat for his
extradition. As for the “sambuk” and her cargo, in virtue of his own noti-
hcation of May 1900, and his recent orders to his agents in Maskat, confiscation