'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎229r] (462/470)

439
0 g 4
The purchases on behalf of Government amounted to
Bice
-
-
-
- 56,753
bags )
Wheat -
-
-
-
- 1,640
„ |
Barley -
-
-
-
- 2,900
„ | to a total value
Sugar
-
-
-
- 7,805
r of
Coffee
-
-
-
10,665
„ j Bs. 26,52,943/12/
Pepper -
-
-
-
350
5 5
Tea
-
-
-
- 1,658
cases j
hut purchasing 1 was stopped on June 2nd at the express request of the Shaikh to the
Deputy Civil Commissioner, Basrah, and 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. , as a personal concession
to himself.
It was, however, found that such enormous orders were being placed in India
and in other Gulf ports to replace the stocks bought by Government that further
action became necessary, and on June 12th the Shaikh was informed that these goods
could not be allowed to land pending the reply of Government to his letter and that
the merchants could be given the option of shipping to Basrah under permit or selling
to Government at cost price, plus five per cent., any goods which the blockade officer
considered should not be landed at Kuwait. On June 26th the s.s. “ Zayani ” was
ordered to overcarry her cargo, which included more than 21,000 packages, mostly
foodstuffs, for Kuwait.
On June 24th 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. represented that occupation was still the only
real solution of the Kuwait question, but that, if that were not feasible, the Shaikh’s
offer must be accepted at once as any capital we might hope to make out of the
acceptance would be lost by further delay: discontent was rife in the town among
high and low and our failure to come to a decision was looked upon as due to the
weakness of our position as regards the war.
On June 28th the Government of India issued orders that the Shaikh’s offer
should be accepted on certain conditions, which decision was communicated to the
Shaikh in the letter quoted at length hereafter, while exports from India to Kuwait
were to be prohibited except on permits signed by 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. or his repre
sentative, and such executive action as possible was to be taken to prevent exports to
Kuwait from other Gulf ports. The following statement of policy was made:
While the Government of India appreciate the desirability of checking trade
with Kuwait they do not consider this of sufficient importance to justify the risk
of an open breach with the Shaikh and the consequent necessity of military
occupation with its possible far-reaching effect on other parts of Arabia.”
On July 5th the following letter (dated July 4th) was handed to Shaikh Salim
by 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. :—
tk After compliments. I have the honour to refer to your Excellency’s letter dated
May 4th, 1918 = Bajab 24th, 1336, in which you say that since olden times there
existed friendship full and perfect between the British Government and the rulers of
Kuwait in the time of your late father and brother, and that you ask the high
Government to extend this friendship and assistance to you, and that you therefore
wrote the above-mentioned letter to say that you were ready to accept full responsi
bility on yourself personally for all that happened in Kuwait and its territories, like
wise and that you will not allow any acts to be done in Kuwait or its territory which
may be against the interests of the Government by any persons, either by your
subject or tribesmen or others who may come into your territories, and that you will
allow no enemies of the Government to come into Kuwait territory; and that you
will be personally responsible that no goods are sent to the enemies of the Govern
ment on account of the friendship between you and the Government, and you
request that Government will give you the assistance of the officer now here as
Blockade Officer to help you in dealing with this matter; and that you wrote this
because you desire that there should be nothing but friendship and the rights of
friendship between the Government and yourself.
“Your letter was communicated to the Government and on June 3rd =
Sha‘ban 23rd I informed Your Excellency that the Honourable Major-General
Sir Percy Cox was expected to return to 'Iraq after a short time and that I hoped
that he would then deliver to you the reply of Government, but he has been delayed
and therefore the Government have ordered me to communicate their reply to Your
Excellency, and it is as follows : —
“ The British Government have deeply regretted the events of the last two years
at Kuwait, but they welcome your declaration as affording an opportunity for the