Coll 30/5(3) 'Bahrein [sic] Residency Monthly Letter - Summary of Events' [‎71r] (141/253)

Page 3,
I did not talk business to him beyond referring vaguely to
the drinking water question 9 with regard to which the
Shaikh, earlier in the year, had promised me that he would
place an immediate order for a distillation plant. He has
gone back on his word because, apparently, he still hopes
^ that the Oil Company will find an adequate supply of water
for him at Dibdibah in the extreme west of his territory.
I did not mention the question of advisers but hope to take
up the subject with him once more when I pay a longer visit
to Kuwait next month. A recent approach by the Political
Agent was met with the usual excuses for inaction.
The Iraqi Government are again taking an inte
rest in Umm Qasr and I was told by His Majesty*s Embassy
at Baghdad that they expect to receive a note on the sub
ject shortly. The discovery of oil near Zubair has made its
early development as a port a matter of importance and the
Director General of Ports and Navigation, Basra, has informed
me that he wishes to put up tide gauges in its approaches, whict
lie largely within Kuwait limits, at an early date. The de
marcation of the Kuwaiti-Iraqi frontier has now become a mat
ter of urgency, and 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. has been asked to as
certain from the Shaikh whether he agrees that the Iraqi Go
vernment should again be asked to accept the line proposed ho
them in 1940.
Sir Hugh Weightman, representing Trinidad Leaseholds
and the Superior Oil Company, was staying at the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. during
my visit to Kuwait, waiting for permission to approach the
Shaikh for an oil concession in his s' are of the sea-bed off
the Neutral Zone. He had been told in Jeddah that if he was
successful in obtaining the concession for the Kuwait share he
would be favourably considered for the Saudi Arab share. Ho
was subsequently allowed to approach the Shaikh after the lat
ter had been informed that a further communication will be made
to him about the whole subject of the sea-bed and asked to be
non.-committal if^ie received any approach regarding it in the
meanwhileThe Shaikh gave Weightman as favourable a reply as
was possible in the circumstances.
.ucan
r
Independent Oil Company have failed to obca:
Ibn Saudis share of the Neutral Zone, and
Amer :1
j s ion
have come to some clandestine agreement with the
the ccncc:
appear to
Shaikh to
him but ui
Kuwait Oi
shin called the i! 3adawi' ;: which they are bringing out, original!
with the
wa oer s, i. <
surround:
exploit J’ubbar and two other islands which belong to
infer tunately are not shown in the map attached to the
i Oenroanvs concession. They want to use a survey
Intention of surveying the Neutr.
'or the purpose of surveying thes*
.ngs.
il Zone territoria
Islands and their
The great increase in the foreign population at Kuwait
is giving rise to many problems. It is reckoned that by the
end of the year, the Kuwait Oil Company will be employing over
1600 British European subjects, over 800 Americans and over
6,000 Indians and Pakistanis.- This involves the Political Agen
cy in a mass of consular and routine work and an increase oi
staff has become urgently necessary. Criminal cases which nave
to be tried by 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. under the Kuwait Order--in-
Council are growing in number and one of the most pressing ques
tions is the provision of suitable ac ^mmodation for prisoners.
Recourse can scarcely be made to the Kuwait Government's prisons
as their w^uhuds of dealing with criminals savour of the mid
dle ages.
vember
The U.S.S. "Maruy"
carry out a survey
arrived at Kuwait on the 3rd Po
of the waters off the Kuwait coast
/ she