مجموعة ٣٠/ ٢١ "الخليج الفارسي: الكويت. الحصار من قبل ابن سعود. العلاقات الكويتية-النجدية" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٨] (١١٤٢/٣٤٦)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
SECRET.
(14377)
Relations between His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and
the Sheikh of Koweit.
[E 6077/16/91]
1 .—Final Record of a Meeting held at the Foreign Office, on October 5, 1933.
THE following were present at the meeting :—
Mr. G. W. Rendel (in the Chair), Foreign Office.
Mr. K. R. Johnstone, Foreign Office.
Sir A. Ryan, His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda.
Lieutenant-Colonel T. C. Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf.
Mr. J. G. Laithwaite, India Office.
The meeting had before it Sir Andrew Ryan's note of the 16th August,
regarding the attitude of King Ibn Saud towards Koweit (see Appendix A).
Mr. Rendel outlined the present political situation of Koweit. The Sheikh
was tied to His Majesty’s Government by his treaty engagements, but at the same
time was being courted both by Ibn Saud and by Iraq. It was clear that the
sheikhdom was not in a position which in the ordinary way would enable it to
stand alone either as a political or as an economic entity, and that it must thcn^-
fore depend on some stronger Power. He understood that it was the policy oi His
Majesty’s Government, in view of the strategic importance of Koweit, not to allow
it to be absorbed by any foreign Power, but, so far as was possible, to maintain
their present treaty relationship with the Sheikh.
Mr. Laithwaite suggested that Koweit was at the present moment of more
vital importance to His Majesty’s Government than it had been at any UmB’ since
it had bulked so prominently as the terminus of the Bagdad Railway betore the
war This was the result first of the development of the air route to India and
Australia, which had made the Gulf as important imperially from the air stand
point as was the Suez Canal for naval reasons, and, secondly, owing to the expira
tion of the mandatory regime in Iraq and the uncertainty of the future relations
of His Majesty’s Government with that country. So long as Iraq had been under
British control, there had been a natural tendency to give it prior consideration
and the less important question of Koweit had been kept comparatively m the
background. But now that Iraq had attained full independence, the position was
changed and Koweit had once again assumed major importance. Geographically,
Koweit occupied a key position at the head of the Persian Gulf, and one from
which the Gulf could be controlled. In the event of war we could probably safely
assume that Koweit would be on our side and her territory would afford us a base
of operations of definite value, to the use of which, on the assumption m question,
no objection could be raised on the ground that we were violating her neutrality.
Further with the development of the Arabian coast air route to the East Koweit
was likely to prove more and more vital as a station on that route, especially if om
relations with Iraq should at any time become so strained that we were unable to
rely on the use of the Iraqi aerodromes for the purposes of that route.
Colonel Fowle suggested that in point of fact it might one day be possible to
avoid the use of Iraq altogether, and fly direct from Palestine to Koweit, as the
range of the aircraft using the Arabian route increased.
Mr. Rendel concurred with Mr. Laithwaite's estimate of the position as
regards Iraq. In view of recent events m Iraq it was possible that om who le
relationship"with that country might have to be modified, and he considered that
both the future of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty and of the position of the Royal A i
Force in Iraq must be regarded as doubtful. On the general point at issue, he
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