'File II. IRAQ (3) Vol. 1 Shaikh of Kuwait's Date Gardens on the Shatt-al Arab. (Kuwait's relations with Turkish Govt. and Turkish demand that Kuwaitis should take out Turkish Nationality Certificates)' [‎69r] (141/636)

Khan
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Arfa Khazal^ who, although a PerRian by nationality, conducts
self like an Ottoman in his acts and contributes both efforts and
money to the establishment of peace and good order in our dear
native land and that more especially in the time of the present
Vali".
The party were then photographed, the Vali in the middle with -
Khazal on his right and i. obarak on his left while the speaker, Kar-
tass, stood in the foreground with his back to the camera.
1 called a few days a^o on the author of the speech, Abiul
¥
V/ahab el Kartass who quite admitted that he had his tongue in his : >1
cheek when he delivered it.
hr.Lyle of hessrs Gray Paukenzie and Go., who visited the
Sheikh at Koweit shortly after his trip to Basra, informed me that
Mobarak had told him that the Vali still refused to allow the
registration of the transfer of the land he had purchased at Fa-
daghie unless he took out a certificate of Ottoman nationality.
Abdul Vahab Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , however, gave me a somewhat different account
of the matter. According to him, strict orders have been received
from Constantinople not to permit the registration of the transfer
to hobarak at all. The reason for this opposition to what is
really a very ordinary transaction is, so Abdul u'ahab informs me,
that a misconception exists at Constantinople regarding the si
tuation of the land to be transferred and that the Ministers be
lieve it to occupy an important strategic position commanding
Basra, moreover, they do not think Mobarak is buying the land him
self but th&t the British Government are financing him in the
matter. Abdul V.’ahab says the Vali had sent in very favourable re
ports, explaining how erroneous all this is, but he has not suc
ceeded in overcoming the opposition of the ftinisters. As regards
the question of the nufus teskere, Abdul Wahab told me this matter
could easily be got over by the Sheikh putting the land in the
name of hir blind son and taking out a certificate of Ottoman na
tionality for his in order to satisfy Turkish susceptibilities.
1 informed Your Excellency in a previous despatch that Sheikh -o-
barak proposed adopting this course when Lajor i^nox ani I dis-
cussS^ matter with him last year at Koweit. 1 do not myself
think the Vali is as obligingly disposed to settle the question
in