Coll 30/220 'Kuwait: General Relations with' [‎16r] (31/37)

10. Paiforce are a raat nuisance to the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , and
their personnel still, though on a reduced scale, try to
use* the place as a holiday hone. I have twice written to
the G.O.C. about it since my return from Cairo, but it is
a delicate natter and one that it is not very easy to raise.
Car loads of officers drive down from Basrah on the flimsi
est excuse, or even none at all, and arrive at peoples*
houses about meal tine and ash if anyone can recommend a
hotel. Another source of annoyance is the number of military
sleuths who are constantly poking their noses into ratters
which do not concern them. Dowson, who X believe as an
employee of Hills Brothers and who has an excellent know
ledge of Arab c was recently in Kuwait and apparently counted
all the fish traps and enquired the daily catchos l This
sort of thing, which is done without any reference to the
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , rives great offence to the Shaikh and w an I got
an opportunity I shall take it up with Arthur Smith, the
new C.O.C. in C. The Shaikh complained to me about Dickson
who he said ought to mind his own business bettor ( a view
which I an sure most Political Agents would share) and told
mo that Ye reported natters to the Company which had nothing
to do with oil affairs and concerned only the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . I
did not have a chance to tab'© this up with Dickson as I
was too pressed for tine and was unable to rive him an inter
view although I saw bin once or twice.
11. My final interview with the Jh&ikh before I flew off
was much happier. He was In excellent spirits, very pleased
that the investiture ’ad gone off so successfully, fully
satisfied with the new arr eonent with the Oil Company which
was concluded the day before I left, and obviously delighted
at the demonstrations of affection which Ms faithful sub
jects had shown two days before. I think it was tills that
moved him to release all the political prisoners and in a
;private letter Felly tells re that he is unquestionably
t feeling much happier now and presumably feels himself more
-secure. He spoke to me much more frankly about his relations
than he has ever done before, it seems to me that at present
he is locking to bheikh Bubarak, the Director of Public
Security as his immediate successor should an early death
overtake bin, I did not however have the time or the open
ing to discuss so delicate a subject as I should h ve liked
to do, or to take up the uestion that must arise soon of
giving some improvements to the administration.
12. As I said the Shaikh was in excellent humour. He told
me that so auspicious an occasion must be recognised in
some way. He must rive me something. I felt that the best
ethod of defence was the attack, and said promptly that
there was one thing I had long been desirous of and that
was a photograph of Hla Highness. His face fell at this.
That was nothing, hi said, a mere nothing, and ho flicked
it away with his finger: he know that our rules were strict
but he nuKt .tyive me somethin;.;- to re member this visit by,
I maintained an obstinate silence, but he said t^at he Jiad
two small rugs whlc ; he had had for some tine which he wished
to rive me so would I make an exception and accept them?
I could see a small paper parcel near bis elbow which I
suspected contained some article of value, so I thought it
better to rive way and say that I would, if he insisted,
accent the rugs as a memento of this occa ion. The Shaikh
seemed only moderately satisfied and said that the rugs
could never be the sane personal present to ne that the
other object would be nnd he now rapidly opened the small