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.' [‎190v] (300/336)

complete for a branch Post office, forms, seals, etc., and is all
available on the spot {vide letter No. 1575 -E.A., dated the 13 th
May 1904 , from the Under Secretary, Foreign Department, Gov
ernment of India, to the Chief Secretary, Government of Bengal From c. 1758-1858, the East India Company's administration in Bengal. From 1773-1833, the most senior of the three subdivisions of India, also known as the Supreme Government of India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. ,
forwarded under your endorsement No. 1573 , dated the 26 th
December 1904 ).
{b) The Postmaster would have to find lodging in the town outside the
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. premises for there is no spare accommodation at present
and none could be made available without acquiring more ground.
(c) There is at present a mail peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). attached to the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. whose salary
(amounting to Rs. 20 per mensem) is met from the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
Budget. This peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). could be retained as he knows the work and
his salary would be charged to the Postal Department.
(d) The mails are taken to and from steamers at present by my Head
clerk in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. boat. There would be no objection to this
procedure being continued with the substitution of the Postmaster
for the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. clerk. Or, if preferred, arrangements could be
made for the transport of the mails in the B. I. S. N. Company’s
Agent’s boat as is done at other ports.
The above gives all the details which I can at present foresee as
likely to affect an estimate of revenue and expenditure.
6 . I will turn to former objections to the office which I understand to have
been political and raised by His Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople. The
present system has been in force since the inception of this Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and the work
has grown year by year until my office has become, in addition to its legitimate
rd/e,' practically (with the exceptions noted above in paragraph 4 ) a Post office
and is regarded as such in Koweit. The Sheikh would not, I feel convinced, have
any objection to the establishment of a regular Post office, even if it is considered
necessary that he should be consulted in the matter, a course which in my opinion
is quite unnecessary and one which would only invite opposition in a hope that
some more tangible benefit might be extracted from Government. Some
opposition may be expected from the Turkish Government when the opening of
a Branch Post office at Koweit is notified under International Postal Rules, but,
in the circumstances, it does not appear possible for it to be serious nor indeed
difficult to meet. In Basrah it is well-known that the postal arrangements of
Koweit are in our hands and I imagine it is generally presumed that a regular
Post office already exists. The Wali himself is aware of it, judging by a conver
sation with him which Sheikh Mubarak reported to me some time ago, and in
view of the existence of British Indian Post offices in Baghdad and Basrah to
gether with our exceptional commercial and political position in Koweit, he would
have some considerable difficulty in finding any solid argument against our Post
office. If I may venture to hazard a suggestion for bringing about the desired
object with as little ostentation as possible it would be that Government request
the Postmaster General to detail a Sub-Postmaster for Koweit; on arrival he
should take over my Head clerk’s postal duties, his presence being explained to
the Sheikh by me as the result of the increase in postal work and consequently
Government’s decision to put it on a proper footing. Having assumed his
charge, the Postmaster-General could then issue the necessary notification dec
laring a Branch Post office open in Koweit. The Post office will thus be a u fait
accompli” before any objections can be raised, to combat which we have the
cogent arguments outlined above.
Memorandum of postal work at Koweii Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
The following figures have been arrived at from a scrutiny of the records for
the first four mouths of 1910 . A count was also taken for 5 consecutive mails of
the number of letters despatched in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. bags.