"الملف 73/7 II (D 22) وضع الكويت - سكة حديد بغداد، والمفاوضات الأنجلو تركية" [و‎‎٧‎١] (٥٤٠/١٤٧)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
' [B]
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
[April 18.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 1.
[12347]
No. 1.
Mr. Parker to Djevad Bey.
(Private.)
My dear Djevad Bey,
Foreign Office, April 18, 1912.
YOU asked me to let yon know privately, as soon as possible after we had received
yonr reply, whether I thought the proposals of your Government were likely to prove
acceptable.
As you only communicated the reply on the 15th April, there has not been time
to submit it to Sir E. Grey ; but I may tell you now, though purely as my own personal
view, that I am greatly disappointed and, after what passed at our informal discussions,
not a little surprised at the terms of your official reply.
When contrasted with the terms of the British memorandum of last July, the
Ottoman reply seems to show, on almost all the principal points, marked divergency,
and I cannot conceal from you that I apprehend grave and insuperable objection to
some of your proposals.
I think that a very bad impression will be produced by the attempt which is made
to whittle away the formal assurances which were given by the Ottoman Minister for
Foreign Affairs to our Ambassador in 1870 ; those assurances, though verbal, were
repeatedly given, and were referred to in subsequent correspondence. I can show you
the original signed despatches from our Ambassador at Constantinople.
Then as to Koweit: I had been led to expect that, while the Ottoman Government
might feel some reluctance to withdraw the military post from Bubiyan Island, the
remaining proposals included in our memorandum of last July respecting Koweit
furnished the basis of an agreement between the two countries. I must confess that a
great stretch of the imagination appears necessary to reconcile the basis of agreement
proposed in your reply with the determination of His Majesty's Government not to
consent " to any interference with the succession or with the internal administration,
or any infringement of the complete autonomy of the Sheikh."
It may be that there are omissions from your reply. 1 am almost led to think so
from your language about Koweit to me.
You know how desirous I am that the negotiations should succeed ; yet I fail to
discover the elements of conciliation, whether in regard to accepting our last proposals
as to participation in the railway, or in regard to several other points.
I am, &c.
ALWYN PARKER.
[2435 s—1]