'File 73/7 III (D 24) Status of Kuwait & Anglo-Turkish negotiations' [‎65r] (138/709)

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[This Docnment is the Property of His Britannic Majesty 's- Government.]
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ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA. [February 27.]
CONFIDENTIAL. S ection 1.
[A mended C opy.]
[9415] No. 1.
Sir A. Hirtzel to Mr. Parker — {Received February 27.)
My dear Parker, 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. , February 26, 1913.
BY Lord Crewe's instmctioiis I enclose a statement of a possible basis of
compromise as regards Koweit. His Lordship hopes that it will not be nsed except in
case of real necessity, since the sheikh will certainly regard it with suspicion, and will
(Cox anticipates) already he greatly disappointed by the loss of Um Kasr, Safwan, and
Musallamiya, to say nothing of Anta'a. As to this last,^ Lord Crewe suggests-
without pressing it—that if opportunity offers ior obtaining a rectification of the
southern limit so as to include Anta'a (as shown in green on the map enclosed) it
should be taken. I enclose some extracts from an earlier report of Knox s which show
the strength of the sheikh's claims. Ii should in any case be pointed out to Hakki
that all our claims are based, not on the sheikh's unsupported statements, but on the
evidence collected during the last live years by our own officers, who have personally
examined the whole frontier. ^ t n •
As regards the Turkish request for a right of way for their troops, Lord Crewe is
at a loss to understand why they should want it, seeing that they apparently have
easier means of access to Central Arabia (either by way of the Hedjaz, or from the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. via Ojeir and Hofuf, where they already have garrisons). He would,
therefore, be disposed to refuse, unless it is strongly pressed for. If conceded it
should be guarded by a strong proviso that no posts or garrisons are to be established
along the line of march or elsewhere.
You will have noticed that the Government of India ask that if the compromise
is adopted they may have time and opportunity to explain the nature of it to the
sheikh before news of it can reach him from Turkish sources. Lord Crewe attaches
importance to this.
Yours, &c.
A. HIRTZEL.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Statement
THE limits of Koweit and of the tribes subordinate to the sheikh are as
defined in annex 4 to the British note of the 18th July, 1012. That is to say:
2. From the coast at the mouth of the Khor-es-Zubair the line proceeds in a
north-westerly direction up to and past the walls of the port at Safwan to Jebel banam
and the Ar Ratq ridge. From the latter point it runs in a south-westerly direction
along the Batin to, and including, the wells of Hafar, whence it turns to the south-east
between the districts of Summan and Dabanah, till it reaches the route from abrah
to Riyadh. From that point it runs north-east to the Na'airiyah till at the north-west
corner of Radaif, and thence to the coast at Jebel Manifah.
3. The islands included in the limits of Koweit are those mentioned in the annex
above referred to. ^
4. Within the limits specified a circle shall be drawn with Koweit town as its
centre and a radius of approximately 60 English miles, including Warba Island and
the mid-channel of the Khor Abdullah to the north, Qrain Hill to the south, and
Kubbar Island to the south-east. Within the territory thus circumscribed the complete
autonomy of the Sheikh of Koweit shall be guaranteed, as defined in the British note
of the 29th July, 1911.
5. Outside this circle and within the wider limits described in paragraph 1, the
existing status quo shall be maintained, i.e., the sheikh shall continue to levy tithes,
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