File 2764/1904 Pt 4 'Baghdad Railway: Anglo-Turkish negotiations; proposals of Turkish Govt; status of Kowait' [‎134r] (272/674)

sending troops to Koweit and respected tlie status quo there, they would not occupy
that place or establish a British protectorate over it.
British trade relations with the Sheikhs of Koweit have existed for upwards of two
centuries and, inasmuch as the place has attracted merchants from all quarters by the
>^^quity of its rule and the freedom of its trade, His Majesty’s Government could not
consent to any interference with the succession or with the internal administration,
or any infringement of the complete autonomy of the Sheikh. On the other hand,
they are prepared to recognise Turkish suzerainty over Koweit, and to recognise the
Sheikh as a Turkish Kaimakam, provided in other respects the status quo is guaranteed,
and the validity of certain agreements which the Sheikh has concluded with the
British Government is recognised ; provided the islands of Warba and Bubian are
admitted by Turkey to be within the confines of Koweit, and Turkish military posts
are withdrawn ; and provided finally the Sheikh is admitted to the full and undisturbed
enjoyment of any properties he may own or hereafter purchase on Turkish territory.
Koweit would thus form a sort of enclave within, and forming part of, the Ottoman
Empire, but enjoying complete self-government under Turkish suzerainty.
Certain difficulties have recently arisen in regard to the buoyage of the Shat-el-
Arab. For a great number of years British shipping has, owing to its volume,
been predominantly, and until recently almost exclusively, interested in these aids
to navigation. For over fifty years the work of surveying, buoying, and lighting
the river has been carried out by British agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. to the general satisfaction of all
concerned.
In these circumstances, His Majesty’s Government have some difficulty in
appreciating why the Ottoman Government have taken exception to existing and
long-standing arrangements ; but, being desirous of dealing with the difficulty in a
spirit of conciliation, they would propose to the Ottoman Government the appointment
of a small riverain commission, composed of a British and a Turkish representative,
with an engineer to be mutually agreed upon. This commission would superintend
all matters pertaining to improvement of navigation, and it would likewise superintend
the requisite periodical surveys.
As regards the rest of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , on the other hand, the Turkish Govern
ment, so far as they are concerned, would recognise the right of Great Britain
(a) to control surveying, lighting, buoying, and pilotage; (b) to police its waters;
and (c) to conduct all quarantine arrangements.
(iii.) The Increase from 11 per cent, to 15 per cent, ad valorem in the Turkish
Customs Duties.
His Majesty’s Government have consistently maintained that they could in no
circumstances assent to the increase in the Turkish customs duties unless a previous
and satisfactory settlement had been reached in regard to the Bagdad Railway
question.
To this attitude they adhere ; and while they consider that such a settlement
might be promoted on the lines of an agreement such as has already been indicated,
they could not regard a settlement confined to the railway as either satisfactory or
complete, since it would leave in a state of uncertainty a number of questions closely
affecting British interests in the regions of Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
His Majesty’s Government are in principle favourable to railway construction in
Turkey; but they cannot directly contribute to the completion of the Bagdad Railway
if it is to introduce a further element of possible disturbance into an aiea where
British rights and interests have, especially of late, been wantonly assailed ; nor
do they feel that they could justify to British public opinion the imposition of a tax
which will affect British trade,—amounting in Mesopotamia to some 60 pei cent, of tie
whole,—unless they have provided for a general settlement of political issues m t le
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , such as the Ottoman Government themselves desire to bring about, and
unless they have obtained some compensation for and a guarantee against the con
tinuance of arbitrary acts^such as the demolition, on no adequate pretext, of British
the Ottoman Government are prepared to enter upon a negotiation on these
lines, and to concur, as already stipulated, in a removal of the ^stmg veto on the
borrowing powers of Egypt,—a measure which is called form * e .mterestsof financia!
reform in Egypt,—His Majesty’s Government will make it their ^t aim t
tribute to an agreement likely to remove all causes o nc ,i