'Report and Proceedings of the Standing Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence on the Persian Gulf' [‎10v] (25/94)

of the country. Ibn Sand was a relation of the Sheikh Mubarak, and was living with
him at Koweit and Ibn Eashid, his rival, was acting under the name and encouragement
of the Turks. The Turks kept sending him down to attack Koweit. When matters
became critical, His Majesty's Government authorised the Government of India to resist
an attack upon Koweit by Ibn Eashid. We sent a man-of-war, we landed troops, we
threw up fort ideations, and we were prepared to defend it. Therefore a/t that time we
were boldly contesting the claim of Turkey to exercise any de facto interference with
Koweit or to strengthen their nominal claim of sovereignty there. Then Mubarak,
frightened by all those operations, turned to us, and in my day he was certainly most
anxious that he should come under our protectorate. One of the first things that I was
called upon to do was to complete the first Treaty with him in 1899, and when I went
to the Gulf in 1902, he was overjoyed at the recognition of his position, which was
thereby implied, and I remember when I gave him a sword he said, Why have you
not given me a belt, in order that I may put on the sword and make myself the
perpetual servant of the British Government ” ?
His Majesty’s Government did not favour the protectorate, but they did agree so
far, you will remember, as to establish, first a native official there in charge of the
post office, secondly, a British officer, named Captain Knox, who went there for a few
months in the year, and thirdly, a permanent British officer at Koweit. Meanwhile,
my recollection is that discussions were going on at Constantinople, and that both
parties without mitigating in either case their claim said, very well, what we will agree
to do is to maintain the status quo.
SIE EDWAED GEEY: What the Turks were told at the time—I have looked
back at it—was that we should not claim a protectorate over Koweit so long as the
status quo was not disturbed.
LOBD CURZON : And that has been the situation ever since?
SIR EDWAED GEEY: Yes, and the situation has been less acute. I think in
the last few years the only acute question has been about dates, has it not ?
ME. PAREER: Yes, about the Sheikh’s date groves which are on Turkish
territory.
SIR EDWAED GEEY : We have not had to cut in and defend him, but the
difficulty is that the Turks pinch him over the revenue from his date plantation which
is in their territory. He flies the Turkish flag and has accepted the title of Kaimakam.
LORD .CURZON : Is that so ? For years he has been a Kaimakam—over since
he has been on the throne. Does he fly the Turkish flag now ?
SIE EDWAED GEEY : He has done so for- years. My recollection is that he
has flown the Turkish flag for a long time, and when he is asked about it he says it is
the Mussulman flag.
VISCOUNT KI ICHENEE: It is considered as such. It is never considered as
the Turkish flag.
SIE EDWAED GEEY: But it is, as a matter of fact, the Turkish flag that
he flies.
VISCOUNT KITCHENER: They sometimes put little variations on it. The
Sultan of Muskat and the Sultan of Zanzibar both fly the Mussulman flag.
LORD CUEZON : The flag carried in fi out of him was a flag with a red ground,
on which was written in large, white, Arabic characters “ Trust in God,” which was a
somewhat non-committal proceeding. We advised him to fly his own flag.
MR. HIETZEL : That point has never been settled ; it remains exactly as it was.
There was a suggestion that he should fly a flag, the Turkish one, with “Koweit”
written across it in Arabic letters, but he demurred to that because he thought it would
get him into trouble with the Turks. The question was dropped, and it has remained
in that position ever since.
LORD CUEZON : I have a note that in July 1905, the Sheikh of Koweit was
advised by the British Government to have a distinctive flag, the Turkish flag with