"الملف 73/7 V (D 38) وضع الكويت، والمعاهدة الأنجلو-تركية" [و‎‎٥‎٦] (٢١٦/١٢٦)

[Tfe Docnme .it is the Bntom. M,1. ]
TURKEY.
[January 22.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
bECTION 4.
[3120] No. l.
India Ojjlce to Foreign Office.—{Received January 22.)
sir ' t am r f i i a p o Ind ' a 0 f LCe ' January 21, 1914.
1AM directed by the Secretary of State for India to forward, to be laid before the
f+f q? n t. f tt ° r f lgn Affairs ' copy of the correspondence regarding the desire
of he Sheikh of Xoweit for some further assurance from His Majesty's Government
as to their attitude m the matter of the succession.
++1 ^ nyt r mg ? f u he ^ lire P f ^ dyiiastic P led 8 ,e w ould involve a departure from the
settled policy ot His Majesty s Government, and, though each case must doubtless be
considered on Us merits, strong justification would be required for anv radical
departure irom it. But the purely personal assurance in guarded language which the
Crovemraent of India recommend does not, in the Marquess of Crewe's opinion
partake suiriciently of the nature of a dynastic pledge to be open to objection d priori
and, positively, it seems to him to be very desirable to make such arrangements as will
ensure that the successor selected by the Sheikh will be acceptable to His Majesty's
Government^ As, therefore, there is nothing in the proposed assurance which in his
opinion conflicts with the Anglo-Turkish Convention he trusts that Sir E. Grey will
accord it his approval.
I am, &c.
T. W. HOLDERNESS.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir P. Cox to Government of India.
(Confidential.)
t Bus!lire, November 9, 1913.
I HAVE the honour to revert to the question of the Sheikh of Koweit's desire for
a dynastic guarantee, last referred to in the Government of India's telegram of the
9th August to His Majesty's Secretary of State.
Since our interview in the Shatt-el-Arab on the 7th July, and the despatch of my
letter of the 10th idem to Government, Sheikh Mubarak has repeatedly asked the
political agent whether there was any reply from Government on this point, and at my
recent visit he reverted to the subject of the convention generally and the question of
succession in particular.
2. I was glad to find that he had quite reconciled himself to the presence of the
Turkish agent and agreed with us that the chances were that he would generally be
able to keep the agent in his pocket, as Sheikh Khazal does the Persian karguzar,
while if the agent gave trouble he would be able to get rid of him with our assistance.
As regards the customs contingency, too, he realised that it was remote at present,
and that, relying on our co-operation when the time came, he would not concern
himself about it meanwhile.
In the matter of the reception of foreigners, e.g., Messrs. Wonckhaus, he readily
accepted our view, and would admit none except under our advice.
3. He then turned to the question of the succession, and asked me what Govern
ment had said on that point. I replied that they had apparently not found it possible
to give me any special reply or instructions.
I went on to explain to him that His Majesty's Government naturally had to be
very chary of committing themselves to guarantees of this sort for all time and without
conditions to safeguard them in certain eventualities, and that in his case, seeing that
the Turks had agreed in the present convention to abstain from all interference in the
question of succession, it was consequently simply a matter concerning himself and us,
and I aid not quite see what reason he had to be anxious about it. Thinking it a pity
to lose the opportunity of getting at his real feelings, I continued that Captain
Wiakespear and I would, as he knew, shortly be going home on leave, and that we
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