"XXII\٩ علاقات الشيخ مع ألمانيا" [و‎‎٥] (٤٤/٩)

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No. C-22 (Confidential), dated Kuwait, thes 19th April 1911.
From— Captain W. H. I. Shakespear, I.A., Political Agent, Kuwait,
To—The Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire.
I have the honour to report that, when he came to see me this morning,
Shaikh Mubarak informed me that about 10 days ago he had received a letter
from the German Consul in Basrah accompanying another from Messrs. Robert
Wonckhaus and Co. praying for permission to open a branch of their business in
Kuwait.
2. The letters were brought by a man of the name of Abdulla bin Ustad
Ahmed, who said he was Messrs. Wonckhaus’ agent and purchased skins and
furs for the firm. He was not a Kuwait man and is not known here.
3. The Shaikh brought his Secretary with him and had the letters read
over to me. That from the German Consul merely recommended Messrs.
Robert Wonckhaus and Co. as merchants who traded at other ports in the Gulf
and wished to open an agency in Kuwait, to which they would appoint a Kuwait
man who would trade in the same articles as the firm dealt with elsewhere. The
Consul hoped that the Shaikh would accord the requisite permission and
that in case of necessity he would find the firm useful to him. The
Consul’s letter was dated the 3rd Azar 1911 (Turkish Calendar) and the
address and superscription were given as “ Shaikh Mubarak Pasha bin
Subah”, the Turkish title of Qaimmaqam not being employed. The Arabic letter
was written in parallel columns with a German translation and I regret I was
unable to decipher the signature. Messers Wonckhaus’ letter was to much the
same effect.
4. The Shaikh enquired from me what answer he should return for he must
send some reply to the representative of a Foreign Government, and though he
could deal easily enough with Arabs and Turks, he preferred to have British
advice in this case. I replied that without reference I was not prepared to frame
an answer for him but no doubt he knew as well as myself that all German trade
in the Persian Gulf at present was carried on for political ends, and that this
particular firm traded in a manner which left little doubt that their losses must
be guaranteed by the German Government. In the circumstances it appeared
to me as an obvious effort to open the way to German trade and influence and
he probably knew that though the opening of such a door was easy it frequently
led to future difficulties and he might find the subsequent closing of it difficult.
No doubt he would be able to return a polite answer without my assistance, while
I addressed the Political Resident on the subject.