'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎167r] (338/412)

The crime was successfully dealt with. A number of convicted persons
were sent to Sukkur J ail in India. The leaders were sentenced to death though
they had escaped to Qatar.
A serious epidemic of plague, introduced probably from Dibai, overran the
islands in April and May. It is estimated that 4,000 deaths occurred.
The pearl trade was somewhat dull. The chief causes were the disquieting
fluctuations of exchange between the rupee and the franc, and the appearance
in the market of Japanese cultured pearls. These apparently can only be
distinguished from genuine pearls under X-ray examination.
As regards the much discussed oil concession, the negotiations between the
State and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company have made no progress. This is still
due partly to the competition of the Eastern and General Syndicate, and partly
to the general reluctance of the upper class to admit into their midst so large
a community of privileged persons as the successful Company will employ when
they proceed to work.
Kuwait.— chief event of the year was the Conference of Arab States,
presided over by Lieut.-Col. Knox at Kuwait, which was attended by represent
atives from Iraq, Trans-Jordania, Najd and Kuwait. The failure of Hejaz
representatives to appear made the proceedings almost abortive, though a
number of minor questions between Iraq and Najd were tentatively settled.
Major More has fully related the series of raids and counter-raids which
occurred, between Nejd and Iraq and Najd and Kuwait. The main intention
of the Ikhwan (Akhwan) was undoubtedly to punish the sections of their tribes
who had seceded from Ibn Saud's rule. The Sultan generally expressed regret
and willingness to give compensation if Iraq or Kuwait subjects were injured.
At the same time he maintained that his people's raids were reprisals for
injuries inflicted on them by his rebellious subjects.
Diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Najd remained generally good
in spite of the raids and the attempts of the Sultan to prevent imports for Najd
passing through the, Kuwait Custom House.
The Eastern and General Syndicate, following up their success of 1922 with
Najd, have obtained an oil concession from the Rulers of Najd and Kuwait
jointly in regard to the Neutral Zone area of these two States. The inhabitants
of Kuwait are very averse to the granting of a concession in their territory.
Najd.—In the early part of the year, the Sultan of Najd, Abdul Aziz bin
Saud, was directing from Hasa the conduct of his delegates to the Kuwait
Conference of Arab States.
As soon as the Conference's failure was recognized, raids and counter-
raids across the Najd borders were the order of the day.
From August onwards His Highness was fully occupied with affairs in
Western Arabia. He reached Mecca about the middle of November.
The Sultan's correspondence which passed through the Bahrain Political
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and this Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. was always conciliatory in tone.
Slave Trade. —In May the fact came to notice that the slave dealers of
Central Arabia had commenced to export to the east coast for sale numbers of
u white " girls who had been raided in their infancy from the Christian districts
of the Turkish Empire in Asia. 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, heard of five
girls who had been taken via Kuwait and Bahrain to Qatar. The Political
Agent, Kuwait, also heard that a number of notables in his town had recently
acquired white (Armenian) women. Major Daly cleverly succeeded in getting
the five girls returned to Bahrain. But then, it may almost be said, our difficul
ties began. One, who was enceinte, insisted on returning to her master, a
Persian in Shaikh Abdallah bin Jasim's service. The four others were sent in
charge of two American Missionary ladies to Basrah.
After a good deal of trouble with the local authorities they were declared
entitled to freedom and were made over to four Christian families for adoption.
Within a few weeks two of them disappeared ! They were probably enticed
away by Muslim fanatics who objected to their second conversion.
: It is evident that these girls, who have forgotten their own language ^nd
religion, are happy enough in the houses of well-to-do Arabs.
Nowadays, slaves do not seek freedom unless they are ill-fed or have been
Severely punished. In the latter case they are probably idle and vicious, so
that they go from bad to worse after being manumitted.