File 1247/1912 Pt 2 'Anglo-Turkish Agreement. Acceptance by Sheikhs of Koweit and Mohammerah.' [‎39r] (73/166)

own relations with the Shaikh and thereby affect our interests here detriment-
allv In my letter No. 8 C. of the 30th April 1913, I attempted to forecast
u,e' mann“ in which the Draft Agreement of the 26th March was likely to
be received and in the light of the Shaikh’s ob J e ^ 10 f { a \ “^^o th^
when for the first time he has been given some idea of the terms or me
proposed agreement, I would invite a reference to the last three paragraphs of
that letter. j. • i
6 Though I fear it is probably too late now to hope for any materia
alteration ^whatever may l"e the terms of the final draft of the Agreement I
feel comnelled to record my conviction as to the probable effect of any agiee-
ment'which does not con.ainmost of the emendations I have already ventured
T submit, and more especially which does not provide for the exclusion of
Turkish officials from Kuwait. , * a i
There has been a growing tendency for some years on the part of Arabs to
u Vova th-it the Christian Powers are determined to reduce Islamic nations
tfiZotence and ihe tendency has received no small impetus from the two
wars m which Turkey has recently been engaged. The idea is reflected m
Egyptian Press, it is encouraged in the Ottoman Press, andis^ot abs^f ,om
thrs“as a noryTwa^ed generally into an accusation definitely anti-
Britisli though indications iu that direction have not been wa- ng, in Nowait
the Shaikh more than any one else has combatted ant,-Bn n ^ons of this
kind and has'alwavs held up the British Government as the o., one which
„nbl he trusted to keep its word, deal even-handed ustice, not to discriminate
r e tween he rel5i„us P beliefs of its subjects and not to oppress the weak.
Nevertheless the%ower wMch cheap
ri Q v 0 e W that aUAmb" ITA ifgospel iscmu^erable, and I venture to think
mu^h under-rated by us, ^ho are in the habit of estimating at its true value
what is nurveved by various organs, and the effect is undoubtedly noticeable
in Kuwait to-day At the same time there is not one Kuwaiti in a thousand
in Kuwa t to aay. a Tar kish rather than a British subject if he were
who would piefer to be aJUir had su(fic i en tly intimate
dealings wiUi 1’urks aTtheir officials to thank God that the* own Ruler is
f 'f • rlAnpnflpnt and under the protection of the British Government, I
havefad af^uch elpreld to mo time and again, the moral being pointed
frpnuentlv by a grateful reference to our action in past times in landing
frequently oy a ^ f f Kuwait an( i i n the summary dismissal
^Turkish ra^^)f-war get^^fae^^a^KuwaiTi^on^he
i “ i p»i.» p
f |° r th orSha^kh e Mubarak, and that all things considered the position is about
death ot Shaikh MuDarax a = it would continue and confirm
fraedoTfror Turkish' interference and the attentions of
VCa 1 T w“lye may not appear germane to the Anglo-Turkish
a * f it rmv serve to show the general attitude of the people and the
Ruler "who' are Ummost nearly affected by that Agreement The Agreement
Power, ^^feaseven lfind it d ffi^t to avo ^ suze , aint hitherto
Agreement contains cla ^ e3 Ti W “Xialin Kuwait, hitherto strenuously