Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎407v] (819/1028)

CHAPTER X.
Administration Report of the Kuwait Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the year 1929.
Personnel. —Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. More, C.I.E., D.S.O., held charge of
the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. from 1st January 1929 to the 22nd May 1929, on which
date he was relieved by Lieutenant-Colonel H. R. P. Dickson, C.I.E.
Assistant Surgeon A. L. Greenway, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., I.M.D., was in
medical charge of the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. Charitable Dispensary and performed the duties
of Quarantine Medical Officer throughout the year.
The Ruling Family. —On the 8th April 1929 His Excellency Shaikh Ahmad
al-Jabir as-Subah, C.S.I., CJ.E., Ruler of Kuwait proceeded to Basrah by a
flying boat, and returned again on the 9th April also by air.
On June 3rd 1929, the anniversary of H. M. the King Emperor’s Birthday,
His Excellency Shaikh Ahmad al-Jabir as-Subah received the title of C.S.I.
The conferring of this high honour on their Ruler gave very great satisfaction
to the people of Kuwait, and was undoubtedly richly deserved.
Shaikh Subah an-Nasir, cousin of His Excellency Shaikh Ahmad al-Jabir
as-Subah, C.S.L, C.I.E., who shot his brother Abdullah on 14th December 1928,
as the result of a personal quarrel over a motor car, was released from prison
by His Excellency the Ruler on 27th July, after having served a sentence of a
little over 7 months’ close imprisonment. The Shaikh of Kuwait was averse
to releasing him, but great pressure was brought to bear on him to do so, by
the other members of the as-Subah family and by the leading notables of
Kuwait. His Excellency bowed to the pressure of public opinion and ordered
Shaikh Subah’s release. Much rejoicing was observed in the house of the
forgiven Shaikh Subah, and the poor of the Town were publicly fed at his expense
for a week after the event. After his release Shaikh Subah retired into the
desert with his camels and now spends much of his time with the Dhafir tribe of
’Iraq. This retirement was undoubtedly intended as a form of banishment by
the Ruler to permit of the affair blowing over.
General. —The artesian well which the Ruler was having bored under the
advice and control of Major F. Holmes of the Eastern General Syndicate Ltd. y
to the east of the Town, proved to be a failure and in February 1929 it was
decided to abandon it. Major F. Holmes left for the United Kingdom on the
16th February. In March, the Eastern General Syndicate Ltd., presented
to His Excellency Shaikh Ahmad al-Jabir as-Subah, C.S.I., C.I-E., a 20 h.p. six
cylinder “Sunbeam” enclosed Limousine car, priced at £950. The car was
delivered on 24th March and gave much satisfaction.
Mr. G. H. Armstrong assistant to Major F. Holmes remained behind in
Kuwait to watch the Company’s interests. He left Kuwait on the 24th June
1929.
During February the L.T. “ Nearchus installed at the dangerous Ras al-
Ai dh headland, a proper disolved acetylene lantern with a sun actuating valve,
on the Government Beacon existing there, in place of the old oil lamp. This has
been an inestimable boon to shipping since.
The field wireless set which was installed in Kuwait for the use of the Special
Sei \ ice Officer during his stay in Kuwait during the winter months was with
drawn on the 19th May but again installed on the 20th June on the return of the
Special Service Officer to Kuwait-
The Birthday of H. M. the King Emperor was celebrated on the 3rd June.
I ho Agencj 1 lagstaff and that of His Excellency the Ruler was dressed in honour
of ffi® day. Alms were distributed to the poor 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. in the
morning, and in the evening he entertained His Excellency the Ruler and seventy
of the leading notables of the Town to a banquet.
During the month of June and when the Qashqai rebellion was at its height
around Shiraz, Kuwait was accused by the Persian Government of supplying
arms and ammunition to the rebels. It is probable that the story was merely a
fiction and canard ” raised by the local Persian officials to account for their
lack of success against the Qashqai tribesmen. His Excellency the Shaikh of
Kuwart had little difficulty in proving the charge to be untrue.
In June of the year under review confidential enquiries were made in
Kuwart as to whether the Shaikh would allow the line of Russian steamers which
pxies in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to make Kuwait a port 0 f call. Later in the autumn