'File 5/1 IV Kuwait Oil Company' [‎64r] (132/604)

Confidential. D.O. No.133.
The Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
Kuwait,
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
4 . 11 . 31 .
Many thanks for your letter of 16th October.
Blscoe has heard officially from Abadan about the A.P.O.C's
proposed geological survey.
As he spent five days recently in Kuwait on his way out
from Sngland, to avoid having to do quarantine in Bushire,
he took the opportunity himself of sounding the Sheikh
on the matter, with I am glad to say satisfactory results.
It remains now to get a written undertaking from the Sheikh,
In applying for which I shall mention that the company is
prepared to pay out of pocket expenses for guards etc.
If I may suggest it I think your Abadan people would do well
these days to start quietly ingratiating themselves with
Sheikh Ahmad, as a counter blast to the strong efforts
Holmes makes in this respect.
The latter has”pull rt over you, in that he has taken a house
here, and loses no opportunity in trying to shew that he has
money behind him. In other words he makes a'* splash spends
money on local charities etc. and regulary keeps the Sheikh
happy with small gifts, such as cigarette boxes, silver
it
trinkets etc. etc. He has of course given him several
expensive gifts in the past such as a six cylinder Sunbeam
Car, Rs.10,000/- in cash, and now an eight cylinder Bulck
I believe Is on order.
I do not suggest that you should spend money, but your people
could do much to get the Sheikh on their side, if they would
for instance sell their parafin and petrol cheaper here.
The Sheikh tells me he recently asked Abadan to meet him
in the matter, but got no change, and he feels rather bitter
l
about it. As a result he is encouraging the sale of either
pirated A.P .0.0. petrol, or Soviet stuff, I dont know
which it is, at Rs.3/- a tin against your Rs.5/4 a tin.