"ملف 61/14 IV (D 48) العلاقات بين نجد والعراق" [و‎‎١‎٤] (٥٢٠/٤٤)

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E ndorsement from t|je H on. the P olitical
G ulf, N<5. 76-S., dated the 18 th
R esident in the P ersian
F ebruary 1928.
Forwardecj/€o the Government of IncUaf in the Foreign apdT Political
Department^ for information, with reference to this office telegram No. 164,
dated th§X5th February 1928. ./
Enclo. of Serial No. 180.
L etter from the B ritish R esidency and C onsulate- G eneral, B ushire,
to H. M .'s S ecretary of S tate for the C olonies, C olonial O ffice,
D owning S treet, L ondon, N o. 5 of 1928, dated 14 th F ebruary 1928.
With reference to my telegram No. 18, dated the 11th February 1928,
I have the honour to forward for the information of His Majesty's Govern
ment a copy of memorandum No. 67-S., dated 7th February 1928, from the
Political Agent at Kuwait, giving details of the Akhwan raid on Kuwait
on the 27th January and of its defeat by a Kuwait force which pursued the
raiders by car.
It was on realising the success of this defence with the aid of motor
cars that the idea of a small permanent motor defence force for Kuwait
occurred to my mind. Raids are as a rule made by comparatively small
bodies of men, say 200 to 500, and the possession of two or three motor cars
armed against rifle fire, carrying machine guns and Lewis guns, would com
pletely checkmate the raiding tribes, who with their limited speed would not
dare to come far inside the border. Men on camels would be an easy target
for machine guns,;
The expense of upkeep would be small and the men for the machine
guns if not already obtainable could be trained either in India or Iraq.
The cars needed would require to have solid tyres to avoid punctures
by bullets, and of a type which would travel over sand. I have personally
found that double tyres such as are on the back wheels of lorries are success
ful in meeting the difficulties of ordinary sand and have a greater speed
than caterpillars but the War Office could advise on this subject.
A copy of this despatch is being forwarded to the Government of India
in the Foreign and Political Department.
€1ipd—976f&pd -9-3-28— 7.