Miscellaneous reports and correspondence relating to Kuwait [‎13r] (25/87)

Raport on inatitutlon and working of the slookarle
at Kuwait*
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?or a oon8ll«rable time ©ridence had be«n aooumulatlng which
showed that Kuwait waa being used as a bass for supplying roods
to ths Turks and to ths tribes ranged on the Turkish aide and at
the end of 1917 it was decided that the establiahiaent of a blockade
at Kuwait was essential* On January 4th # 1018, Shaikh i>alir. # the
Hulsr of Kuwait, agreed to our establishing a blockade for the
control of exports to the interior, but a few days later withdrew
his consent on the grounds that his honour and dignity would be
affected and eren a rlsit on February 9th from the Deputy Political
Resident, Sushire, bearing a message fron the OI t II Coinulssioner
failed to change the attitude of uncompromising opposition to the
blockade, which he had assumed*
On February 10th the S*S* "Zayani* was ordered by the
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , (Jolonel H*ii*A. Harilton, not to unload h«r carfro
which was subsequently oweroarried to Basrah* An immediate
imprbTement in the situation took place and on /ebryary l^th
3halkh Salim accepted the blockade proposals without reserTatiom
On February 22nd a British Blockade Officer, Lisut* D*V*
McOollum, and four British Other Hanks landed at Kuwait to
control the blockade arrangements.
Though this Officer nominally receiTed erery aseistance
considerable obstacles were placed in his way and there was
reason to belieTe that goods continued to leare Kuwait which was
full of foodstuffs and piecegoods, but as the posts wore manned
by the Shaikh's rstainers no proof was forthcoming thourh it was
ewidsnt that while the personnel were Kuwaitis leakage was bound
to continue*
On idarch 15th thsre was a change of Political Aront, as
Oolonel ii*;£*A* Hamilton proceeded on leawe and was relieTsd by
Captain P*a* Loch*
At the beginning of April sereral large cararans, agsre-
#
gating 4900 camels, purporting to be from Qasixn and other ^aetem
parts of lin aa'ud's territory, but in reality co- oa«d largely
Of