'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎47v] (99/412)

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ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE
and Jinnah was that allotted to Kuwait by the Anglo-Turkish Conyention
when the Turks were still in Hasa. It was subsequent to this that Ibn Sa'ud
conquered Hasa, and when he did, it was with the help of Kuwait. He agreed
with the ruling that the question of zakat and raids could not be included in
the Arbitration, but, as he feared that they might become cause of dispute
between Ibn Sa'ud and himself in the future, he said he hoped that Govern
ment would give him her assistance at the time of the Arbitration in forming
a treaty with Ibn Sa'ud with a view to maintaining peace and removing all
causes of disagreement between them.
Ibn Sa'ud's reply, dated the 5th September, was received at Bahrain also
on the 17th September. He too accepted all conditions as laid down provided
His Majesty's Government guaranteed no hostile act against his borders
pending the decision of Government. Regarding the boundary between his
territory and Kuwait, he claimed the whole country up to the walls of Kuwait,
on the ground that all this had belonged to his grandfather and great-grand
father between the temporary intiusion of the Turks, at which time he said, the
•Sheikhs of Kuwait only held jurisdiction in the town itself.
Meanwhile, ever since receipt of Ibn Sa'ud's last letter, Sheikh Salim had
boen making preparations for war so as to be ready in the event of Ibn Sa'ud
making a move before arbitration could be arranged. All minor raids which
took place were attributed locally to Ibn Sa'ud's instigation, as also was an
alleged case of piracy against a Kuwait pearling boat. The boat in question,
a shu'ai, returned to Kuwait on the 12th September, and, according to the
statement of crew, the incident took place on the 28th August. The men said
that while they were taking on board fresh water from a spring in the sea,
known as Ghamisah, off the coast of Jubail, two boats approached them, one
from each side, and opened fire on them. The nakhuda was killed and the
rest of the crew jumped overboard. The pirates then boarded the shu'ai and
helped themselves to everything on board, including cash to the value of
Rs.1,400 and their pearls, after which they promised the crew their lives if they
went on board again. The crew went on board and were taken to Jubail, where
they were kept under an escort on their shu'ai for eight days, while the Amir
of Jubail apparently communicated with Ibn Jilawi. At^the end of that period
they were released and their property was returned to them. The Political
Agent, Kuwait, examined twelve of the crew independently and could detect
no sign of their story being a fabrication. According to the Jubai version
however, as told to 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. , Bahrain, the whole affair was merely
a fracas over water and there was no question of piracy at all. Whichever
story was true there was, of courre, no reason to suppose that Ibn Sa'ud him
self was implicated.
Similarly Ibn Sa'ud brought various complaints against Sheikh Salim.
On 18th August he wrote that he had approached Ibn Tawalah and other
Shammar with a view to stirring up strife against him-Ibn Tawalah had arrived
in Kuwait as Shaikh Salim's guest at the end of July. In his letter of 5th
September he complained of a raiding party under Da'ij and Ibn Tawalah,
which Shaikh Salim had sent from Jahrah. This party had also been reported
by the Sheikh of Bahrain as having come south, apparently with the avowed
intentions of attacking Jariyah. There can be no question that such a party
did go, and it was never denied in Kuwait, but there it was described as a
reconnaissance and not a raiding party. He also wroto to 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. ,
Bahrain, on 13th September, enclosing a letter dated 8th Sepl ember, from
Ibn Shuquair regarding a raid by Ibn Tawalah, £ Ali al-Khalifah, and other
members of the Subah family, which probably refers to the same party.
On the 20th September Shaikh Salim assured 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. that he
had then none nearer the frontier than Jahrah, except for a few parties of
scouts, and guaranteed that in future no such party should exceed five men.
A letter, dated 8th September, from Ibn Sa'ud to Ibn Shuqair regarding
the fortification of Jariyah, which was intercepted by one of Shaikh Salim's
patrols, caused great indignation in Kuwait in view of the fact that it was
written affer Ibn Sa'ud had accepted the conditions of Arbitration laid down
by Government.