Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎197r] (398/1028)

contrabandists’ activities. Why, says Kuwait, should she “ be left with Iraq’s
baby ” or why should she “ poke out her eye with her own finger
6 . Kuwait further argues that she has no local industries, except the pearl
trade which since five years has gone. Nor does she manufacture anything or
grow her food. Unless she can sell something to somebody, she can get no
money to buy even her food and clothes, which all come from India.
7. Bin Sand’s “ blockade ” has reduced her Customs revenue froni 13 lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
to 1 lac One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. in 10 years, Persia refuses to trade legitimately witn Kuwait,
and now Iraq requests Kuv/ait to stop her trade with the hinterland tribesmen.
What, she says, will be left of her trade and how is she to make the money
necessary to pay for her food from overseas.
8 . Both sides naturally have something to be said for them, but in the
writer’s view the Kuwait arguments easily win, since Kuwait’s very existence
is at stake. Iraq’s existence is on the contrary in no way threatened, also she
is rich, and almost entirely self-supporting.
9 . On 5 th May 1934 four Iraq armoured cars entered Kuwait territory and
for some 10 days roamed about beating and frightening the nomad population on
the pretext that they were looking for Iraq contraband runners. Waen the
necessarv protests were made, tne Iraq Government demed the allegation. Re
ports on the subject will be found elsewhere. There were also one or two other
instances which might have brought about a state of stramea relations but which
fortunately were cooly dealt with by H. E. the Shaikh. These included :
(a) The cruising about in the Khor Subiyeh (Kuwait waters) of an Iraq
armed customs launch on 18th April 1934 and the firing upon and
seizure of two Kmvait woodcutters boats.
( b ) T h e shooting and killing of an innocent Kuwait beduoin near Jebel
Sanara (pits of the outrage well inside Kuwait territory), and the
arrest and detention of Ins companion on 4th August. The men
were actually travellers with no baggage and the aggressors weie
the crew of an armed car.
(c ) The cruising about in Kuwait waters south of Warba Island on 31st
October of an Iraqi armed launch, and the firing on a pai ty o
Shaikh’s falconers camped on the aforesaid Island.
of Kuwait "as held l 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. . The Iraqi representa-
SZti^ kS Beg^/AsiTand Tahsin Beg Ali Mntasarrif of Basra. The
results of the conversations held were unfortunately ml.
IK .-—Relations with Persia.
TI T e”
SaH&S S SSȣ-V b. ..U O b. now d..d,
X.—Oil
rY1 poTivnanv an Anglo-American concern on 23rd Decemhei
1934 and“ anTprokacted negotiations, obtained an oil concession
from His Excellency the Shaikh.
XI—Agency “ Charitable ” Dispensary.
A , -
aV’The attendance of patients as compared with the previous 2 years was
as follows :— Out-door.