File 2764/1904 Pt 5 'Baghdad Railway: Anglo-Turkish negotiations; concessions proposed in respect of Kowait; negotations with Hakki Pasha in London; Anglo-Turkish agreement.' [‎77v] (163/536)

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Tn Article 2 Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. laid stress on the Ottoman flag, and we accepted it,
subject^to^the sheikh’s ^t to^H with^a spemad hasten wanted
locally for manj years • u ottoman s - abst i end ra de toute immixtmn dans
SS;rsgrs ?
sX Rather than accept this, Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. would omit “ mteneures e exteneures
altogether and we agreed to this subject to the signature of a separate secret note
ffinfna ‘ ; affairas’ ? as “ interieures et exteneures.” To this note Hakki desired to
dd that the sheikh had not the right to conclude treaties (trotte, In his counter
draft he had had a clause to the effect that the sheikh could not in future conclude
political agreements with foreign Powers, and that economic agreements would require
the sanction of the Turkish Government; but we had struck this out. W e agreed to
the addition to the note, with the insertion of the words “ contra,re a la presente
convent on ’> It is improbable that we shall ever agam want to make a political treaty
C whh Koweit which would conflict with the convention so -
Tbe word “ traite ” would not, presumably, cover a lease of land , but even tnat we
are unlikely to want. Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. further claimed to regulate the succession m the
sheikh’s family. This we objected to, partly because it admitted Turkish interference,
partly because it is contrary to British policy to recognise any but the de facto ruler.
The formula which Hakki was induced to accept-that the Turks will name the
successor a kaimakam—is innocuous. T j • • r • n r
In Aspect of Article 3 we were in some doubt as to whether the Ihiush Mgiit
pre-emption over certain lands (including Warba Island), given by the lease agreement
of 1907, should he specifically mentioned m the convention. Vi e were both agreet
that it would be very impolitic to introduce it at the eleventh hour unless it was
absolutely necessary. It seemed to be unnecessary for three reasons
(a.) It was carefully considered last summer what should be communicated to the
Turks, and neither Sir P. Cox nor the Government of India, nor the India Oince, nor
the Foreign Office, then suggested mentioning the right of pre-emption.
(b:) The wording of the Convention is very vague : “ la valid itedes concessions
de terrains.” If the area of the ground leased had been defined, the Turks might ha\e
accused us*of bad faith if it were afterwards to appear that we had rights over other
around; as it is, we might have leased the whole of Koweit.
(c.) Now that Warba and the adjacent territory is formally secured to Koweit,
while the railway is only to be continued to Koweit on conditions to be agreed to by
us, the right of pre-emption loses much of its importance, its object having been to
prevent the terminus of the railway from falling into foreign hands.
Wri finally decided not to raise the question. „ ,
Article 4.—Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. was very anxious to have a reassertion^ of_ Lord
Lansdowne’s assurances of .1901, and there seemed no substantial objection to
making ih . . .
Articles 5 and 7.—It seemed advisable to make the concession recognising two
kinds of Koweit territory, and in return for it we got a rectification of our original
southern Border, so as to include Anta’a. Warba and Bubiyan, of course, were difficult
for him to surrender, but we Insisted. Article 6 secures for all practical purposes the
same autonomy for the sheikh in the larger as in the smaller area. We refused to
allow a right of way for Turkish troops. ,
In Article 8 Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. tried to commit us to Turkish protection for the line and
Turkish customs. The wording adopted leaves all such questions open, while making
their ultimate solution subject to British approval.
Articles 10-13 evict the Turks completely from Bahrein and El Katr. In
exchange we give them the island of Zakhnuniya (for which, however, they will pay
the Sheikh of Bahrein 1,0001.) and a small strip of coast. The safeguards required by
the Government of India have been secured. We undertake not to annex Bahrein (but
not, as Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. desired, to abstain from altering the nature of onr relations with
it), and we undertake tjiat the Sheikh of Bahrein shall not annex El Katr.
III. In the declaration regarding the frontier near Mohammerah a slight concession
was made (after consultation with Sir P. Cox) in the northern part of the line, which
will start at Um Chir and leave Kuskh-i-Basri to Turkey. On the Shatt itself there