ملاحظات أُعدت كمرجع خلال جولة كرزون في الخليج الفارسي، وأوراق أخرى عن بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي [ظ‎‎٢‎٠‎٤] (٦٧٨/٤٠٨)

16
Her Majesty’s Government will be extended to
him only if he follows their advice.
On the 9th September a further communication
was made to Count Metternich.
A Memorandum upon various subjects, includ- ToSirF.Lascelles,
, £ Nos. 304 and 312,
ing Koweit, drawn up by Lord Lansdowne tor September 11 and
the King’s personal use, and handed by His 12 -
Majesty to the German Emperor at their recent
meeting, had elicited a formal reply from the
German Government which Count Metternich
had left at the Eoreign Office on the 3rd.
It was now explained to him that the Memo
randum, which had been hastily prepared, was
a purely informal and unofficial document.
The statement referred to by Count Metternich
on the 3rd was a repetition of Sir N. O’Conor’s
language in 1900 which might be more correctly
described as having stated that His Majesty’s
Government have no desire to interfere with the
Sultan’s authority as it exists in those parts.
There could be no doubt that this authority was
of a very limited description. The Sbeikh be
longed to a class of native Chiefs enjoying a large
measure of practical independence with whom
His Majesty’s Government found it necessary to
have direct relations for the sake of the main
tenance of tranquillity and the protection of
Eritish trade.
Therefore, although ready to maintain the status
quo, His Majesty’s Government had been unable to
acquiesce in attempts recently made by Turkey
to impose on the Sheikh conditions from which
he had hitherto been free. They had considered it
a matter for direct and friendly discussion with
the Porte, who now regarded the incident as closed,
and Count Metternich was informed of the
assurances exchanged.
Lord Lansdowne on his return to London said To Sir F. Lascelles,
to Count Metternich. that it was necessary to g^g^er 28
bear in mind that where minor Eastern States
were concerned it was not unusual to find that
they owed a divided allegiance to more than one
Power.
The German Memorandum states that Koweit
has an importance for Germany merely as the
proposed terminus of the Bagdad Bailway and
gives an undertaking that the Manager of the
Bailway Company will be instructed to come to
an understanding with the British Government
when the time for purchasing land for a railway
terminus and a landing-place at Koweit shall