'File 13/3 Arms Traffic' [‎234v] (468/608)

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|M>n made anVnojejt of recriminatior^and ridicule Vre t,hc main springs of hia
resentment. \t was this sense of injilry which madA him speak of germinating
his arms agreement and permitting th\ free import and export of arr^s, leaving
itVo us to prevent the traffic to and from Kuwait as we thought lit.
8 . I was aMe, however, to induce him to give upVhis foolish idea\ though
he tasked of me iA return that I would represent in derail what had happened,
hou\ it damaged\his prestige and solicit that GovernnVmt won d issueWders
thatiKuwait boats uoaded up with cargo sNoiild not be simjected to a sVarch
at sAa. lie was Arepared to make the severest example ol any Kuwait oVner
nakhtada or vessel pA)ved to be carrying anms, and if naval officers received
inforntaation leading\ them to suspect any particular boat al\ he asked was
the car^o should not ye interfered with, thai a man with a letter to the l* 0 ^
tical Agent be put\on board with orders iiever to leave thehoatand the boa<(
ordered'tao proceed dirdct to Kuwait. On arrival the PolitidWl Agent couh
put another reliable man on hoard if he desired which the ShVikh would also^
do and the cargo would then he unloaded and searched undeAthe eyes of,
and by, \he three men in concert. If arjns were found heWould punish
owner, nakhoda and boal in a way that wouhl be an example t(\the people
of Kuwait for the future. 1 said I would'forward his representations with
such recommendations as\l could add and ask for an early reply. \l was not
in a position, however, either to give an undertaking that further searches
would not ha made at sea, \nor to assure him tlpit his plan w^uld be Approved
as suggested above.
9 . The practically coincident arrival of the Vive boats with similar\stories
has aroused Aery considerable resentment, and t\e Shaikh has been preWl to
ike the line h\ has done as much by his leading! merchants as by hisXown
tounded amowr propre. As ut appeared to m(\ that any serious rupture in
cordial relations with the Shaikh must be avoided by all possible meaniXat
the\ present time, I endeavoured to conciliate and soothe his pride—in otlVr
circumstances I might have inclined to a more unbenVling attitude, holding
the strict letter yf our arms agreement and his proclamation as justification^
i ut thrs would inevitably have bropo;ht about still mot^ resentment and prob
ably leoUo an imvatse from wlsich there would have been no w;»y out except
by forcibly insisting\on the observanee of his agreementffiy the Shaikh.
10. yn the same grounds, therefore, I would submit that, if it is possible
without impairing tlm efficiency of naval measures, the\procedure suggested
in paragraph 8 above may be given a\trial. The Shaikh’s own prohibition
has undoubtedly had a ueterrent effect, and if suspected ve^Ls can be treated as
mggested, 1 t\ink it wik be possible to ensure that an adequate investigation
ikes place in Kuwait authe time of discharging cargo. The Shaikh has no
ejection to moK or less empty boats beingWarched at sea, Vmt where large
dh\vvs, full of timber and ether merehandiseyonsigned to merchants in Kuwait
ancABasra, are concerned, the thorough searck required must Vnevitably lead
to smocie damage, for which Vbe nakhoda becomes responsible to fhe consignee.
I would a\so observ^ that the loss of ihe Shaikh’s co-opAption would
materiXlly add to ou\difficulties in dealing withXthe arms traffic.X At present
the Kamr ports and ^asr-as-Subaih appear toMiave developed Wo regular
depots And a similaA situation at Kuwait with the Shaikh's connivance is
worth avoiding if avoiAance is possible with the Slmikh as co-adjutoi
12. \n conclusion,\l wouldyeg that I may Ay favoured with\ an early
reply for co\nmunication\;o the Shaikh.
Dated the 28t\ Jamadi-Xl-Awal 1330 ( 16 th May 1912).
F rom _Il\£ Excellency'Shaikh Mubarak-us-Subaih, R^er of Kuwait,
To—L ieutenant-Colonel Sir Pebcy Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Pulitical Resident in