Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎408r] (820/1028)

55
similar request was o'penly made to the Shaikh by a Persian firm which has its
chief office in Mohammerah, the Ruler needless to say refused permission, after
the dangers of so doing had been pointed out to him.
On the 26th July the Special Service Officer finally left Kuwait taking with
him his field wireless set.
In Aumist His Excellency the Shaikh was asked his views as to the intro-
hiction of Paissports for Kuwait. After careful consideration he replied saying
hP nreferred, at anv rate for the present, not to start such an innovation, as
L Jqo-ht end in many of his own subjects claiming foreign nationality. Certi-
tfpntps of Identity continue therefore to be issued by this Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. to persons
merino- to travel. Applicants in every case bringing a letter from the Ruler’s
Spcretarv permitting their departure. The checking of persons arriving at
Kuwait is still not satisfactory. It is hoped to improve matters m this direc
tion during 1930. . , ^ . T
Condition of tiiv Country and the Rebellion m Nejd. Early m Januan the
situation in Nejd was extremely obscure, and various rumours differed so much
that it became’difficult to sift the truth from the false There could be little
doubt however that the relations between Bin Sand and the Akhwan leaders
were becoming more and more strained, and his task of preventing them from
attacking the ’Iraq Desert Posts was becoming harder from day to day. Bin
bad even found it necessary to issue orders for Jubail, Qatif, etc., to be
? iffild and nrovisioned as a precaution. On the other hand there were m-
foitified a p .. able Afeeiing existed between ibn Humaid and ibn
BubaPan the'two most powerful Shaikhs of the great Ataibah tribe, which Bm
Sand could be trusted to take the fullest advantage o . .
On Tmiuarv 21st Dhaidan ibn Hathlain the clever old Shaikh of the A.jinan
On January mivpd force via the Batin with the intention ot
s ,r, psksss
rPQnlt that their car was fired on and Mr. Biikert was Kiueu
Early in February it was learned th ^ report was
between ibn Humaid and ibn Eubai an, ^ rin • 1 ^ bout a reconciliation. It was
received that he had been s ^ ccei;v T v b re be was said-tq have unfurled
otitiain, al-Fuqm, and others to iom
The uncertainty of events about thiSgfame and Ae "hinterland of-
was going to happen from the dmeci ^ characters, were to be found
Kuwait distinctly unsafe for the law abiding, ana oa a
everywhere seeing that they could pic v P» mp esheen were stolen from
On the night of 15th|16th February 14 canie s A pursuit was at once
a party of Dh°afir camped a short distance ^ Jahra^ A p^ of the
organized by Shaikh Abdullah a r aiders captured the lot, and recoveied
16th the Shaikh’s men came up with the raiders, cap
the stolen animals. _ the Kuwait-Basrah road
Owing to the disturbed conditions of t c ^ t d rece ived by sea.
was closed for a month at this period, and mails were ^ heavy
On the 3rd March the Town ot ^yy^ToTn wall on the Jahrah road. It
firing being heard a short distance outside^ ^ Ban . Malik _ an q shepherd
transpired that an eneampumm 0 -irhbourliood of Basrah and Zubair,
tribe whose summer range is m the ne g Muta i r raiders under ibn
been attacked at dawn by a par > o k , ^ barely seven miles from I uv ei •
Shuqair and al-Fuqm near Jab i a ® , , g lt n p a s tout fight and endeavouie
where they were encamned. s n 0 f a thousand sheep and a few c 011 (
to retire on Kuwait, With the exception ot a she and 6o0
the Bani Malik lost all their animals, to the^nu beloii ^ ngg Th e unfortunate
donkeys. Thirty of the fam 1 ies r e tv wounded. The loss of the rai ^^^
shepherds lost 37 men killed an _ s i 1 epherds, and in the Royal Air
was equal to, if not more than that ot tne f