"ملف 53/32 V (D 128) مسائل متنوعة خاصة بالكويت" [و‎‎٥‎١] (٤٧٤/١١٤)

treaty or undertaking that he was aware of to consult
H«M. Government in the matter of a bank, it had never
occured to him to discuss this particular matter with me,
before writing his perfectly normal and friendly letter to
Mr. Kurkgy. But that out of personal regard for me, and
wishing to convey to me that his views on Banks generally
had today become quite "modern", he had mentioned what he
had done, a day or two after writing to Mr. Kurkgy. It
should not be forgotten, he said, that until a short time
ago Banks were anathema to Moslems like himself and his
people, and one of his ideas in telling me of what he had
done was to convey the fact that Kuwait was going right
ahead, and that the days were gone, when -arab States
moved in "blinkers", and their rulers were thought incap
able of thinking for themselves, or forming sound judge
ments.
4. The Shaikh* s last words to me were "Please tell
my friend Colonel Fowle that if he wants another Bank to
get in before the Ottoman Bank does then for Heavens sake
to get busy and persuade it (or them) to come forward and
talk business quickly, for I cannot wait for them to see
if oil is found in Kuwait or not before they decide".
5. i fear I have written a rather long letter, but
I mnted to make the Shaikh's reply and his point of view
generally, clear. I feel quite certain from the very
candid and friendly way in which he discussed the subject,
that there was no intention whatsoever of trying to gKi
go behind the back of, or upset H.M. Government.
He is very proud of the way he rules his State and consider
that there are cerjfain things which, as an independent
Suler (even though under our protection) he has a right
to do without consulting us, obviously this question of a
Bank