"١/١ المجلد IV العلاقات الكويتية السعودية" [و‎‎١‎٤‎٢] (٥١٠/٢٩٢)

Should your esteemed delegation agree to negotiate on this basis, we are
pared once more to discuss the subject in order to arrive at the conclusion
P 2 htby both sides.
so
(Usual ending.)
Note by Political A gent .—The above letter, as will be seen, is worded some
what differently from what the Saudi delegate laid down as the only basis for
f iture talks (see my telegram No. 211 of the 25th June), namely, that Koweit must
!Iree before anything else to guarantee that not even a single smuggler got across
‘V k or cler. They appear to be playing for safety. The Koweit delegates have
not missed this point, and in their reply have pinned the Saudi delegates down to
That they actually did say.
l\\—Translation of a Letter dated the 24:th Rabi Auwal, 1354 (June 25, 1935),
f rom the Koweit Delegation to the Saudi Delegation.
(After compliments.) . . . 10 _.
WE have received your esteemed letter dated the 23rd Kabi Auwal, 1354
(June 24, 1935), and have understood what you stated as to your good intentions
as well as the good intentions of His Majesty King Ibn Sand’s Government,
namely, that you are prepared to continue conversations with a view to arriving at
a satisfactory conclusion between both sides, and to discuss measures to remove all
misunderstanding, but that such conversations must from now onward be on the
one basis, that the Government of Koweit shall first give “guarantee
(“dhaman ”) with regard to goods (smuggled) passing across the frontier. You
added that if our delegation would agree to the “guarantee ” condition on behalt
of the Koweit Government, then you would be prepared to continue the talks.
We wish, therefore, now to make the matter quite clear. I he situation is, as
we suggested to you in our letter dated the 16th Rabi Auwal,1354 (June 17, 1935),
and as was also discussed with you in yesterday morning s meeting (June 2 ,
1935). You stated that the “ guarantee ” system was desired by His Majesty s
(Saudiyeh) Government, which was that nothing should be smuggled, and only
goods exported according to manifests should be allowed t0 P a ^ s mt °
territory That should any smuggler be caught, his goods would be confiscated,
and the Koweit Government would have to pay the customs duty imposed on same.
Also that should this happen more than three times, His Majesty s baudi Govern
ment should have the right to cancel the agreement. lrj
At the same meeting we replied to you that the Koweit Government would
give you their word of honour to do all in their power to prevent smugg _ x
that should any smuggling be discovered (within her territory) e ^
ment would inflict the severest of punishments on the evl . . oel * _ntion
As regards the “ guarantee ” insisted on by you wi e - t ^ reason _
taken and every goodwill, we say this cannot be realised. f
able of you to make such a condition. That which the Sau i * because of the
of (e.g., smuggling), should it occur, will be trifling and very ’ Q overn
measures that will be taken by His Majesty s Saudi Government and the Govern
ment of Koweit. It should certainly not affect the goo wi , p Hencv Sheikh
reciprocal agreement between His Majesty the King an J
Ahm Welivery hope, however, that owing to your deep ins^you will not
allow a doubtful and unreasonable defect to stan .
wSiTc- . „pl, » .hi., - hop. .h„. .h,H » . S «xl
understanding. .. x
(Usual ending.)