'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate' [106r] (228/382)
The record is made up of 1 volume (190 folios). It was created in 14 Jun 1932-31 Jan 1933. It was written in English. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
EXPRESS LETTER,
ivfy-
1o6
Confidential . 5HIRf_^p
D.O.No.322. -•—/ i
ibi-air
iwm
EWDBNCY
OGHFIOM
SEOORBS
Political
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, Kuwait.
Dated the 31st December 1932 a
,p
Reference your confidential No,956'^clated the
24th December 1932 with enclosures and your private and
personal letter dated the 24th December.
There is little doubt in my mind that Major
Holmes was made aware by his principals, the Eastern and
General Syndicate, Ltd., London, that His Majesty's Governments
comments on the A.P.O.C, Draft Concession and that of the
Eastern and General Syndicate were on their way out to Kuwait,
hence his letter of 21st December 1932 (copy forwarded to you
under my confidential No.213 dated 22nd December 1932).
2* Major Holmes consequently decided to make a
last bid for the Shaikh's favour by persuading him to go to
Bahrain and offer his condolences to Shaikh Hamad on the death
of his father the late Shaikh Sir Isa bin Ali al Khalifa.
The Shaikh had already it may be recollected
cancelled his intended visit to Bahrain fixed for the 15th
December, but altered it again on the arrival of Major Holmes
from that place. The latter on the plea that Shaikh Hamad of
Bahrain was very upset at the prospect of not seeing the
Shaikh of Kuwait, managed to persuade the Shaikh of Kuwait to
alter his plans and visit Bahrain on 22nd December.
3* Having succeeded in his plan. Major Holmes
proceeded to take charge of the Shaikh, as if he were his
The Hon'ble Lt-Col. T.C.W.Fowle, C.B.E.,
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.
In the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
Bushire.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence relating to the draft oil concession agreements presented to the Shaikh of Kuwait (Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) by the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (A.P.O.C.).
The correspondence focuses particularly on the individual clauses within the two draft agreements and a comparison of them for the Shaikh in order that he can make an informed decision on which concession proposal is best for his country. The memorandum comparing the drafts is produced by the Petroleum Department of the British Government and two copies of it are contained in the volume (folios 48-64, 153-161).
Also included in the volume is correspondence between the US Embassy in London and the Foreign Office regarding what the US embassy view as unacceptable delays in the amount of time it has taken the British Government to discuss the question of the Kuwait concession and repeating their concerns that the Eastern and General Syndicate will not be compared favourably alongside the British A.P.O.C. proposal. Also outlined by the Foreign Office are their fears that the Government's delays in responding to the US in this matter could potentially affect more serious negotiations in the future between the two countries.
Other items of interest in the volume include:
- Letters from the Admiralty and the Army Council expressing their concerns over strategic and military assets in the Gulf should American interests be permitted to acquire the oil concession in Kuwait;
- Enquiries from the 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to the Secretary of State for India asking if anything can be done to assist the Shaikh of Kuwait with his grievances regarding his date gardens in Iraq and Ibn Sa'ud's blockade;
- A letter from the Secretary of State, Foreign Office (on behalf of the Secretary for Mines) to the Director of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited outlining the history and background to an oil concession in Kuwait dating back to 1917 when A.P.O.C. first undertook preliminary examinations in Kuwait and Bahrain (folios 76-81);
- Details of proposals by A.P.O.C. to increase the financial offer of their concession
- Letter from 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. in Kuwait to the 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. regarding anti-A.P.O.C. and anti-British propaganda which is being circulated in Kuwait (folios 106-108).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (190 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the file have been arranged mostly in chronologically order.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The principal foliation runs from the first folio to last folios and consists of numbers enclosed in a circle in the top right hand corner. A second former sequence commences on the first folio of writing and concludes on folio 173, consisting of pencil numbers (not circled) in the top right hand corner. This sequence has gaps. Foliation anomalies: 1A-1D, 21A, 162A
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/640
- Title
- 'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1r:1v, 1ar:1dv, 2r:5v, 7v:21v, 21ar:21av, 22r:22v, 24v:41v, 42v:116v, 116ar:116av, 117r:127v, 130v:170v, 171v:172v, 173v:180v, i-r:i-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence