'File 4/6 II Kuwait-Iraq Frontier' [‎149r] (297/440)

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KBfa GEAltILES 3TRSBT,
VOTTEHALL, 3.W.I. (AHf)
1 , Seplbeciber, VM*
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Would you please refer to Hay *8 ‘ixprees Letter No.1213-6
of the 23rd June in connection with the Koweit^/lraq frontier?
X enclose, for your information, a copy of a letter Ho*5753/993/91
of the ?th August which we have new received from the Foreign
Office on this subject.
You will see that the Foreign Office hold strongly to the
view that if it is hoped to reach agreement without recourse to
arbitration it is useless to approach the Iraq Gcvexment on
this question on the basis of a ftermLa less favourable than that
put to them in 1940* This 1940 formula however would seem to
raoan that the Sheikh of Kweit would lose the site of the Port
of Uom h&ar$ and it seems clear from the political Resident’s
telegram dated 3rd August, 1941, the Sheikh would
regard such an outcome with great concern* ^oreever, in view
of the additional evidence on the interpretation of the frontier
which had been adduced since 1940 , it is difficult to agree to
basing any further efforts at a settlement on the 1940 fornuln*
It seems very doubtful whether, in the opinion of the shaikh,^
the advantages to K.oweit of an early demarcation of the frontier
in securing a cessation of frontier infringements and a division
of oil rights would outweigh the loss of Ucm -asr*
It would seem, therefore, that it is becoming increasingly
clear that there is little chance of securing an agreed frontier
without arbitration, arbitration would have the disadvantage
that it might be attended by a certain amount of publicity of
/an
Lieut.Col* A* 0 *Galloway, C*I* -*, 0*B*3.,
The Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. ,
Bahrain*
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