ملف ١٨٥٥\١٩٠٤، الجزء ١٠ "الكويت:- العلاقات مع تركيا. ممتلكات الشيخ في الفاو والفداغية" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٥] (٣٩٨/٣٢٩)

No. 9, dated Shiraz, the loth (received 24th) August 1908.
From —Major P.Z. Cox, C.I.E., Political Resident in the Persian Gulf,
To—S. H. Butler, Esq., C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of India in the
Foreign Department, Simla,
I have the honour to lay before Government the report called for in Foreign
Department telegram No. S.-377, dated 16th June 1908.
A good deal of correspondence has since passed on the subject with the
Political Agent, Koweit, the progress of which has caused some unavoidable
delay in the submission of my reply.
2. In order the better to explain the present position I venture to retrace a
few steps on the record.
His Majesty’s Secretary of State in his telegram of June 12th enquired
how the settlement reported in my telegram of March 10th had been upset. My
telegraphic report of that date was based on Major Knox’s letter No. 95,
•Forwarded with Residency letter No. 86:, received on 9th March * informing me
dated ,5th March ,908. that Sheikh Mubarak had spontaneously
intimated that the trouble appeared to be over for the time, as he had explained
the circumstances to the Wall and a Turxish Commission had investigated the
question and decided that the embankments need not be interfered with. The
Wali nevertheless was said to have expressed the view that they appeared to
obstruct the outlook from the Fort and that the repair of them had better not be
continued.
3 o-, 0n 3 r d March Major Knox wrote that Sheikh Mubarak was very
full of his troubles at Fao and asked that he or I or Consul Crow should visit
the spot and thresh out the whole matter and if possible have a proper sketch
made of the property.
Further Mr, Lyle the British India Steam Navigation Company’s Agent at
Basrah, and an old friend of Sheikh Mubarak, who visited Koweit about then,
informed the Political Agent that it was evident from the Sheikh’s confidences
to him, that he was very much exercised in regard to this question and did not
think that he was receiving from us the measure of assistance to which he felt
himself entitled.
. I visited Koweit a few days later and Sheikh Mubarak at my interviews
with him repeated his grievances with insistence. I therefore despatched to
Government my telegram No. 307, dated 10th April, amplified on 13th idem by
Residency telegram No. 314. 3
Writing on the 9th April, the Political Agent forwarded Sheikh Mubarak’s
t Sent to Foreign with Residency No. 12,4, letterf of same date and expressed the hone
dated igth April 1908. that it WOuld be possible for US to do
something for the Sheikh as he evidently had the matter far more at heart than
any other of the current questions affecting his territorial rights vis a vis the
Porte.
4. The above brief resumd brings me to
Foreign Department telegram No. 377
of 16th June 1908, and I now beg to
enclose copies of the correspondence J
which has since passed between the Politi
cal Agent and myself.
It will he seen that in his letter of 15th June, Major Knox, after reporting
the Sheikh’s reiterated request fora Committee of enquiry and his undertaking
to abide by its_ decision, suggested a visit on his own part to Basrah. In reply
he was authorised to proceed informally to Basrah in the “ Lawrence ” pri
t (,) First Assistant Resident to Political Agent,
No. ,898, dated ,6th June.
(2) Political Agent to Resident, No. 3,0, dated
,5th June ,908, received 23rd June
(3) Resident to Political Agent, Koweit through
First Assistant, Bushire, telegram, dated 29th June
,908.
(4) Political Agent, Koweit, to Resident, No.
330, dated 23rd June ,908, with accompaniments.
[( 5 ) Political Agent, Koweit, to Resident, No.
334, dated 24th June 1908, (enclosure to Residency
letter No. ,0, Shiraz, dated loth August ,908).]
(6) Political Agent, Koweit, to Resident, No.
396, dated ,7th July 1908
(7) Political Agent, Koweit, to Resident, No.
399, dated 20th July ,908.