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'File 73/7 V (D 38) Status of Kuwait, Anglo-Turkish Convention' [‎41v] (95/216)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (104 folios). It was created in 3 Jan 1914-16 Jul 1919. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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187
His Majesty's Government agree to the adoption of the words " system "
and undertaking " as proposed in article 1, clause (a), provided they are first
furnished with authentic copies of all agreements between the Ottoman
Government and the Baghdad Railway Company, and provided they find no
occasion for objection in the final text of the supplementary agreements now
under discussion at Berlin, as it is clearly essential that they should know precisely
what they are asked to agree to ; provided also that it is expressly agreed
in the explanatory note that their freedom of action with regard to future varia
tions of the concession is not impaired by this wording.
His Majesty's Government would also agree to the inclusion in the explana
tory note of the words 44 under the express condition that no prejudice of an
economic or financial nature is caused to Great Britain in pursuance of this clause."
They consider further that the obligations of Great Britain under this clause
should be defined in the same document. In the view of His Majesty's Govern
ment Great Britain would be bound, after the signature of this convention and
the conclusion of all pending negotiations with Turkey, not to oppose the increase
of the Turkish customs duties up to 15 per cent, ad valorem, and not to oppose the
allocation of a portion of this increase or of existing Turkish revenues for the
purposes specified in article 35 of the Baghdad Railway Convention of March
1903, such an obligation would -not, however, commit His Majesty's Govern
ment in advance to support the allocation of any particular revenues, but
merely that of adequate revenues, to such pruposes.
His Majesty's Government prefer the words " declare that they will not
oppose " to those suggested in article 1, clause (£), of the German counter-draft;
this undertaking corresponds, moreover, to that which the German Government
assume in article 4, clause {a).
The addition suggested by the German Government of the words <c as re
presentatives of a group of British shareholders " in article 1, clause (c), does not
commend itself to His Majesty's Government. It is essential that there should
be British representatives on the board of the Baghdad Railway, and His Majesty's
Government attach importance to an assurance from the German Govern
ment that they will use their best endeavours to this end ; but it appears to them
otiose to enter in the Convention into the technical formalities which the ad
mission of such representatives may entail. Herr von Gwinner explained to
Mr. Parker at the German Embassy on the 7th June, 1913, that their admission
could only take place in a manner such as is suggested in Prince Lichnowsky's
note of the 16th July, 1913, and, subject to the successful formation of a British
group, His Majesty s Government intimated that the arrangments indicated
would be satisfactory. V hile they adhere to this position, they are bound to
state that the legal advice which they have obtained respecting the bearing of
the statutes of the Baghdad Railway Company and of the provisions of Turkish
company law on the question is not quite in accord with the view then expressed
by Herr von Gwinner.
In this connexion it must be remarked that the terms outlined by Herr von
G\\ inner to Sir H. Babington Smith on the 14th June, 1913, are not such as are
likely, m the opinion of His Majesty's Government, to encourage British financial
participation in the undertaking. The British subscribers are to be required to
pa) or their shares in full at par, whereas the original shareholders paid actually
onh one-halt of the nominal value of their shares, the remainder being credited
to them out of the profits on the construction of the first section of the railway-—
a course which seems open to criticism on purely financial grounds. V\ hilst
as regards participation in the profits arising from the construction and working
o e rai way, British shareholders would thus be in a less favourable position
an he original subscribers, they are to be required to put themselves in the
same position as original subscribers as regards the very onerous obligations
o e syndicate for realising the Government bonds. If substantial British
nacua par icipa ion m the enterprise is desired. His Majesty's Government
trust that the German Government will use their influence with the Baghdad
ai \\ ay ompany o secure an appreciable modification of the terms suggested.
creator artlc }® 2 certain changes have been made, with a view to
greater clearness, m the lettering and numbering of the several clauses and

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Content

The volume contains letters, telegrams, maps, and newspaper cuttings relating to Anglo-Turkish negotiations over the Baghdad Railway, status of Kuwait, and other Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. matters. The correspondence is between Lionel Haworth, British Consul for Arabistan, Percy Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bushire (later Stuart Knox as acting Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. ), the Government of India, Henry Babington Smith, President of the National Bank of Turkey, Louis Mallet, British Ambassador to Turkey, the British Consulate at Adana, Hugh O'Beirne, Counsellor to the British Embassy in Russia, Richard von Kühlmann, Councillor of the German Embassy in London, Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , the Board of Trade, William Grey, 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. at Kuwait, the British Consulate at Basra, Arnold Wilson, Civil Commissioner in Iraq, and Ibn Sa‘ud, ruler of Najd and its dependencies. Some of the correspondence comes as enclosures.

The documents relate to the latter stages of negotiations and partly consist of drafts and counter-drafts of the eventual agreement, which was never ratified because of the outbreak of the First World War. They also reflect Britain's involvement in the agreement between the Ottoman Turks and the Baghdad Railway Company. Also covered is a discussion about what to do in case of Sheikh Mubarak of Kuwait's sudden death and territorial claims made by Ibn Sa‘ud on what may be Kuwaiti land.

Extent and format
1 volume (104 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged chronologically. At the beginning (folio 1c) is a subject index, arranged alphabetically. The numbering refers to the folio.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The volume has been foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using pencil numbers positioning in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages. One document (folios 7-34) is an extract from a printed item that has its own internal pagination system, running from 125-179, before continuing from 180-205 (folios 38-50). The following foliation anomalies occur: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 52a, 59a. There is one foldout in the volume, at folio 2.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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'File 73/7 V (D 38) Status of Kuwait, Anglo-Turkish Convention' [‎41v] (95/216), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/615, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023574610.0x000060> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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