'XXII/10 Status of Kuwait & Negotiations with Turkey.' [‎30r] (59/446)

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No. 411, datod Bushire, the 3rd (received the 12th) March 1912.
From— Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., 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 in the Foreign Department, Calcutta.
I have the honour to refer to the correspondence ending with Foreign Depart
ment endorsement No. 2356-E. A., of the 21st December 1911, and to recall the
fact that Shaikh Mubarak was consulted by me on behalf of the Government of
India regarding the proposal to communicate to the Porte the details of his engage
ments with us.
2. In these circumstances, I would ask Government to consider whether it
is not now advisable for us to apprise the Shaikh of the action we have taken.
If the Government of India generally agree that it is expedient to make some
intimation to him, and to do so now, then I would ask them to consider the
precise form of the communication which I am to make.
There would seem to be three courses open to us :—•
(1) to inform the Shaikh that ‘ ‘ the terms of—
(а) the agreement of 23rd January 1899 ; ^ 247
(б) the arms agreement of 24th May 1900 ; y ;
(c) the postal agreement of the 24th February 1904, as per translations
attached, have been communicated to the Porte who have been
informed that His Majesty’s Government hold, moreover, a lease
of land from him,” thus refraining from special mention of the
omission to communicate a copy of Colonel Meade’s supple
mentary letter of 23rd January 1899, or the substitution for it of
the observations contained in the second paragraph of Sir
Edward Grey’s communication to Tewfik Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , dated 24th
October;
(2) to include a quotation of these latter observations in our written
communication;
(3) to quote them verbally, simultaneously with the communication
suggested in (1).
3. If the general negotiations with the Porte were likely soon to be brought
to a conclusion, it might not be considered necessary to make any communication
to Shaikh Mubarak at present, pending that development; but the danger is that
he may conceivably learn details in the meanwhile from Turkish sources or be
pressed for further information by the Basrah authorities, in which case he might
presume that we had communicated to the Porte more than we had, and be led
by want of precise details into making inconvenient disclosures.
4. I shall be taking an early opportunity to proceed to Kuwait to curry out
the instructions of Government with regard to the presentation of the Shaikh’s
recent decoration, and it would be convenient to me to know the views and wishes
of Government in the connection under reference before leaving. I, therefore,
solicit a telegraphic reply.