Coll 30/5(3) 'Bahrein [sic] Residency Monthly Letter - Summary of Events' [‎115r] (229/253)

ir
Muscat while he is in Dhofar. Unfortunately as previously
reported our efforts to find a suitable incumbent have so far
been unsuccessful.
i 0 ' An Anglo-Iranian Oil Company tanker is to pick up the
Sultan at Salalah on the 9th March, Mr. Altounyan of Petroleum
Development (Dhofar) Ltd. has now reached Dhofar with a survey
party and was reported to be leaving for the interior on t e
23rd February.
$
H There has been some trouble in Muscat over the grant
of visas to an American missionary, Mr. Kapenga, and his wife
without the prior consent of the Muscat Government. The Sultan s
Secretary at one time intended to ask Mr. Kapenga to leave Muscat
but 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. succeeded in dissuading him from this
course. The Political/Agent reports some deterioration m
relations between the American Mission and the Muscat Government
during the past few months and as I have previously reported an
order was issued a few months ago for the Mission School to be
closed. It is hoped that the situation will improve with the
Sultan’s return.
ECONOMIC I
General: Good rain has fallen in all the Gulf States including
Muscat”and as a result there is excellent grazing for camels and
flocks.
f' In past years the Gulf States have received their
quotas of sugar from India. During the last few months some of
the States have found it possible to import sugar without any
restrictions from the United Kingdom. In future the supply oi
sugar to the States is to "be controlled by means of allocations
to exporters in the United Kingdom.
Kuwait: ^' The Kuwait authorities have asked for an increased
wheat quota which at present stands at 600 tons^a month owing
to large purchases by tribesmen from Saudi Arabia and an increase
in the local population due to the Oil Company’s operations.^
Meanwhile a report which is being investigated has been received
that wheat has actually been sold by Kuwait to the Government
of India at an exorbitant price.
2i. 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. reports that gold which apparent
ly originates from France is being brought to Kuwait from Beirut
and being sent from there to India.
^ The Kuwait Oil Company’s junior staff which consists
. largely of Indians went on strike for two days during the month
owing to the alleged poor quality of the food supplied to them.
They returned to work on being promised better food.
^ Efforts still continue to provide Kuwait with a better
drinking water supply. The Shaikh’s Secretary, Abdullah Mullah
recently drilled on his own land to a depth of 700 feet without
any success. The Kuwait Oil Company as a result of repeated
requests by the Shaikh are now boring to a depth of 2000 feet
within the town limits, but they have little hope of any better
result. Meanwhile the supply of somewhat brackish, water from
a well out in the desert, which was brought into the town by the
Kuwait Oil Company when the Iraqi quarantine restrictions cut^
off the normal supply from the Shatt-al-Arab, is being piped into
various tanks in the town and there mixed with Shatt-al-Arab wate
for sale to the public*.
At the request of a B.O.A.C. representative 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 arranged -with the Shaikh for an alighting
area for flying-boats to be made available in the Kuwait Bay
when required. It is understood that the B.O.A.C. will shortly
start a flying-boat service va via Kuwait.
/ Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .. .