File 1247/1912 Pt 1 'Turkey:- Communication to Turkish Govt of agreement between Gt. Britain and Koweit, Bahrein & Trucial Chiefs. Decorations for Sheiks of Koweit, Mohammerah & Bahrein in connection with Anglo-Turkish Convention.' [‎180v] (280/336)

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Troclamation from Sheikh Mubarek-bin-
Sabah, Chief of Koweit.
Be it known to all who see this that
British and Persian vessels of war have per
mission to search vessels carrying their and
our flags in Koweit territorial waters, and to
confiscate all arms and ammunition in them,
if these arms and ammunition are intended for
Indian or Persian or Koweit ports. Koweit
vessels found in Indian and Persian waters by
British and Persian vessels of war suspected to
contain arms and ammunition for Indian,
Persian and Koweit ports are liable to be
searched by the said vessels, and all such arms
and ammunition found in them will he con
fiscated.
Dated this
24th day of Moharrum 1318.
24th day of May 1900.
Seal
of
Mubarek-bin-Sabah.
Enclosure No. 8.
No. 142, dated Bushire, the 28th May 1900.
From— Captain C. A. Kemball, Officiating: 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 to the Government of India, Foreign Department.
I have the honour to report that, in accordance with your instructions, I
visited Koweit on the 24th instant, and at an interview with Sheikh Muharek,
Chief of Koweit, I explained to him the desirability of his putting a stop to
the traffic in arms within his territories. The Chief informed me that up to
the present the importation of arms into Koweit had not been carried on to
any great extent, and that he had already taken steps to prevent the con
tinuance of the trade, as he himself saw the advisability of putting a stop to it
in his own interests.
He readily agreed to sign an agreement, prohibiting the importation and
exportation of arms so far as Koweit territory is concerned. Copies of this
agreement and of the notifications signed by the Chief have been forwarded
to you under separate cover.
2. Whether the arms trade in Koweit is in reality more extensive than
the Chief gave me to understand I was not able to ascertain. It is possible
that the Chief himself does not know the extent to which it is being carried
on, though, when I suggested to him this possibility, he refused to entertain it.
So far as I was able to judge, the Chief intends to abide loyally by his agree
ment, and in any case the agreement cannot but have a good effect, as the
dealers in arms at Maskat and elsewhere will now know that the trade is pro
hibited so far as Koweit is concerned, and that it will, if pursued, be attended
with risk.
3 . I thought it advisable to obtain the Chief’s consent to the issue of the
proclamation, authorising British and Persian vessels of war to search vessels
carrying British, Persian or Koweit flags in Koweit territorial waters. In
this connection, however, it has to be considered that Koweit vessels fly the
Turkish flag, and although I presume that there would be no objection to
British or Persian vessels of war searching vessels under the Turkish flag in
Indian and Persian waters, the search of vessels carrying the Turkish flag within
Jioweit waters by our ships might prove a source of embarrassment if it came