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Coll 30/91(2) 'Koweit Oil Concession: Agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Kuwait Oil Coy.' [95v] (195/788)
The record is made up of 1 volume (390 folios). It was created in 19 Nov 1934-11 Oct 1935. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
a fimnrial terms which this draft concession offered appear to have
been morltvouS to thTsheikh than those offered by the Koweit Chi Company,
been moie lu ' uu i““, _ , ■ it d were ostensibly an entirely British concern
twhereas th! KJweft Oil Company contained a 50 per cent American interest),
BritTsh control was not satisfactorily assured by the terms of the draft concession,
.Biitisn coiilioi pYisted between Traders Limited and His Majesty’s
and no agreement. of course, existed WtJ re ements of the latter Further,
Goiernment to s. o ' \j a ; es t y ’s Government of the financial and general
i,,d " d ** “ **
mtention U, woA Jh e of the * P plic.«tj
His MaifstVs Government instructed the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
to seek fn ^mediate explanation from the sheikh of the circumstances in which
to seek an immeu £ • nd 0 f his exact intention in writing his letter
of the 2 nfseptemEer to Mr Gabriel. Meanwhile, the Koweit Oil Company,
whSad been pursuing their discussions with the sheikh ,n regard to the minor
wno naa oeeii { 5 aDDeared now to have gathered that there was
anotner compa ^ informed that an application had, in fact,
..d «h.l if cool,! no, he ijoo^ 0 ,
Z 17 th December the Koweit Oil Company, in the light of further discussions
between their local representatives and the sheikh, informed Hm Majesty s
Government that complete agreement between them and the sheikh had been
reached On the same date it was learned from the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
at Koweit
that the sheikh having heard no more from Traders Limited since he wrote his
letter of the 2nd September, had already on his own initiative and before
discussing the matter with the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
, warned Mr. Gabriel by telegram
on the 12th December that he was about to come to terms with the Koweit Oil
Company, and that his Excellency had telegraphed again to Mr. Gabriel on the
15th December stating that, as he had now reached agreement with the Kowei
Oil Company further conversations with Traders Limited must cease. The
sheikh, moreover, when questioned by the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
denied that his letter
of the 2nd September in any way meant the actual grant of a concession as
had been stated by Traders Limited, and affirmed Ins readiness to sign the
concession which had been negotiated by the Koweit Oil Company.
8 The sheikh having thus of his own free will given an unequivocal
decision in favour of the Koweit Oil Company, His Majesty s Government saw
no ground for withholding their approval of his decision, of which the company
were accordingly informed by letter, more especially as they had already made
it plain to the Koweit Oil Company, before any other applicant had entered the
field that, if certain conditions which His Majesty’s Government regarded as
essential were fulfilled, the consent of His Majesty’s Government to the grant ot
the concession would not be withheld. At the same time a letter was addressed
to Traders Limited informing them of the decisions which had been reached m
the sheikh and by His Majesty’s Government. Copies of these two letters are 9 10
9. It is relevant in this connexion to bear in mind that the sheikh apart
from his obligation embodied in the agreement of the 27th October, 1912 (o
which he is well aware), not to grant any concession without the pnor consent oi
His Majesty’s Government, was reminded as recently as the 23rd April last tna
His Majesty’s Government would expect him to consult them before even opening
negotiations with any company. This warning, which is in clear conformity wi
the spirit and intention of his written engagement, the sheikh, in his dealing
with Traders Limited, did not observe. , rrj 8
10. On the 23rd December the sheikh, having been informed tnat n
Majesty’s Government had given their approval of his decision, signed
Koweit Oil Companv’s concession agreement.
I am, &c.
JOHN SIMON.
s N
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the negotiations concerning the signing of the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Koweit [Kuwait], Shaikh Ahmed al-Jabir as-Subah [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] and the Kuwait Oil Company in 1934. The Kuwait Oil Company was 50-50 owned by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) and the Gulf Oil Company of Pennsylvania. The Shaikh of Kuwait was precluded from signing an agreement without the permission of the His Majesty's Government ( HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. ).
The file consists of minutes and correspondence from the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. . The other main correspondents are the Foreign Office; Traders Limited; the Kuwait Oil Company; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait (Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson).
The file covers: negotiations over an oil concession between the Shaikh of Kuwait and Traders Limited; the involvement of Lord Lloyd [George Ambrose Lloyd, 1st Baron Lloyd]: in particular, Lloyd's contention that the concession should go to a wholly British-owned company, without any American involvement; enquiries into the composition of Traders Limited (e.g. folios 281-283, 273-276); company information about the concession supplied to the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. by Sir Henry Strakosch, including Strakosch's view that Traders Limited were not likely to prove as desirable a concessionaire as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Gulf Oil Company of Pennsylvania (folios 197-207); India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. approval of the awarding of the concession to the Kuwait Oil Company, and correspondence with both companies; correspondence between British Government officials and the Shaikh of Kuwait, expressing the British Government's disapproval of the Shaikh's dealings with Traders Limited (especially folios 137-154); the signing of the commercial agreement on 23 December 1934; minutes of discussions at the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. between British Government officials and representatives of the Kuwait Oil Company, and Traders Limited; copies of the political and commercial agreements (folios 111-118); the suspicions of the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait that the Anglo-Persian Oil Company were the 'hidden hand' behind Traders Limited (folios 62-69); copy of the Kuwait oil concession document supplied to the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. by the Kuwait Oil Company, including two maps (folios 57-58) that accompanied the concession, with related correspondence (folios 38-58); discussion of what the British Government's attitude to the Shaikh of Kuwait should be in future, in view of the Shaikh's 'disregard' of his treaty obligations toward the British (e.g. folio 23); and the threat of legal action by Traders Limited against the decision to award the concession to the Kuwait Oil Company (folios 14-17).
The file also contains one document of a slightly earlier date than the stated date range: a copy of the political agreement between the British Government and the Kuwait Oil Company dated 5 March 1934 (folios 324-325).
The Arabic language content of the file consists of Arabic equivalents of place names in English on the map of Kuwait on folio 58.
The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (390 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 392; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/91(2) 'Koweit Oil Concession: Agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Kuwait Oil Coy.' [95v] (195/788), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3812, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056562823.0x0000c4> [accessed 20 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3812
- Title
- Coll 30/91(2) 'Koweit Oil Concession: Agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Kuwait Oil Coy.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:6v, 7v, 8v:15v, 18r:26v, 29v:39v, 58r:72v, 73v:79v, 86r:95v, 96v:97v, 99r:110v, 119r:145v, 152v:154v, 156r:156v, 158r:181v, 185r:196v, 197v:207r, 208r:303v, 305v:323v, 326r:333v, 374r:391v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence