'Persian Gulf précis. (Parts I and II)' [‎43v] (86/120)

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Telegram P., dated the 30tli August 1911,
From—His Excellency the Viceroy, Simla,
To—His Majesty^s Secretary of State for India, London.
Request of Turkish Government to see our agreements with Bahrain,
Kuwait and Trucial Chiefs. Your telegram 17th August. We have consulted
Cox and he has personally interviewed the Shaikh of Kuwait. The latter, in
absence of more definite knowledge as to present negotiations, is opposed to
details regarding agreement of 1907, i.e., foreshore lease being disclosed;
firstly, because places in regard to which he has rejected overtures from other
quarters are referred to by name; secondly, because agreement contains
provisions which were framed as a safeguard against possible contingencies
which may never arise ; thirdly, because publication of details would in any
case cause inconvenient gossip among Shaikh's own subjects and would also
greatly increase hostility of Turks to him should the Anglo-Turkish negotia
tions prove abortive.
In my opinion, it would be very undesirable that the Porte should be
furnished with any part of the text of the agreement. They are already-
aware of its existence, see Sir G. Lowther's despatch No. 393 of 28th May 1909
to Foreign Office, and it would perhaps suffice to inform the Porte sponta
neously that we have a lease of land at Kuwait, but see no necessity to discuss
details. The publication of the agreement of 1899 is welcomed by the Shaikh,
always provided that we do not intend to diverge from it. On the same under
standing, I think that the agreement might be communicated to the Porte, but
I deprecate furnishing any part of Colonel Meade's letter of 23rd January
1899. It is obviously undesirable that the second paragraph should be disclosed
while the first paragraph only provides for " good offices," whereas in Decem
ber 1901 and October 1902 {vide Secretary of State's telegrams to Government
of India, dated 4th December 1901, and 14th October 1902) the Shaikh was
informed that we would not tolerate an attack by Turkish ships or troops on
Kuwait, and that we would protect Kuwait and district against attack. Would
it not suffice to append a note to the copy of the agreement of 1899 that we
had subsequently informed the Shaikh that as long as he and his heirs and
successors acted up to their obligations under the agreement, we charged
ourselves to support them and to protect Kuwait against attack by sea or land ?
I presume that you will furnish copy of Shaikh's agreement to prohibit
import or export of arms (our Secret despatch No. 86, dated 5th July 1900),
and his undertaking not to alow the establishment of post office by any other
Government than British {see your telegram of 19th February 1904 and
enclosuse of our Secret despatch No. 152 (External), dated 27th October 3 910).
As regards Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and Bahrain, we have no other treaties than
those in Aitchison, and this being a published work, all or any might be com
municated to Porte. The omission of Nos. 32 and 46 might be misunderstood ;
but I see no other reason to object to their exclusion.
(Received on the 4th December 1911 with Political Secretary^ letter No. 4G, dated the 17th
November 1911.)
EASTERN DEPARTMENT, f24th October.]
SECRET SERIES. S ection 3.
42135 No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Tewfik Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. .
Foreign Office,
24th October 1911.
Your Highness,
In compliance with the request which, under instructions from your
Government, you were good enough to make to me on the 16th August, I have
the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of the agreements concluded by