Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎379r] (762/1062)

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Shaikh, ibn SuUan had only been able to find the following* camels of Neid
brands. °
(a) 12 camels which had been sent as gifts by rebels to Kuwait tribal
acquaintances previously.
(b) 53 camels which could be proved to have been bought legitimately.
f- With these two searches it might have been hoped that the activities
of Ibn ksaud s agents would have ceased. This has not however been the
case and he has now sent Ibrahim ibn Arfaj to maintain the pressure. The
latter has not camped nearer the border than Hafar el Batin, but has employed
armed patrols all along the border to prevent caravans proceeding to Kuwait
and divert them to Zobeir, Further, he has visited Kuwait himself secretly,
and Colonel Dickson has definite proof that he stayed two nights with Nafisi,
Ibn Baud’s agent there. Each fresh commander appointed to the Kuwait
border produces fresh lists of so called Nejd.camels and fresh demands upon the
'Shaikh of Kuwait.. As Colonel Dickson points out, matters have now reached
a climax, and had it not been for his constant efforts, there is little doubt but
that Ibn Baud’s armed forces would by now have been over-running Kuwait
territory and helping themselves to Kuwait camels, while Ibn Baud on his part
has made no attempt to compensate Kuwait for the heavy losses inflicted on
them by Nejd tribes or to pay the compensation which he promised. I enclose
for the information of His Majesty’s Government a copy of a reply that I have
sent to Colonel Dickson and trust they will approve of the instructions therein
given.
5. I would also venture strongly to urge that representations should be
made to Ibn Baud regarding the conduct of his officials on the Kuwait border.
The Nejd Government desires to be treated nowadays as a civilized gov
ernment in the comity of nations. If this is so they should adopt in their deal
ings with their neighbours at least some of the practices current among civi
lized nations. As will be seen from the above, Ibn Baud’s officials have camped
with armed forces actually on the Kuwait border, thereby creating consterna
tion among Kuwait subjects ; they have crossed the border and looted Kuwait
tribes ; they maintain a perpetual blockade of all Kuwait territory and no one
from Nejd is allowed to visit Kuwait; and finally Ibn Baud’s own authorised
representative instead of visiting Kuwait openly and calling on the Shaikh
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. , visits it secretly by night, presumably in order to
spy out the land. Further, his aeroplanes visit Kuwait territory without per
mission while the visit paid by the aeroplanes of the Royal Air Force to
DARIN in the interests of the Hedjaz Air Force immediately evokes the most
vigorous protests. Ibn Baud’s attitude therefore towards Kuwait can only
be described as deliberately hostile, and he persistently treats Kuwait as
though it were a rebellious province of Nejd. While prevented from invad
ing it by His Majesty’s Government he is attempting to reduce it to submis
sion to his will by blockade.
6. Ibn Baud in his letter to the Shaikh of Kuwait has suggested that each
Kuwait subject who has bought a Nejd camel should be sent with a letter from
the Shaikh into Nejd territory with his witnesses to prove that he has bought
the camel. This proposal is "firstly opposed to current practice and tribal
custom and secondly would involve great trouble to Kuwait subjects. They
would have to proceed with their witnesses perhaps a hundred or two hundred
miles into Nejd territory where the case would be heard by Nejd officials
whose impartialitv in this matter may well be doubted. When similar cases
arise between Kuwait and ’Iraq if a Kuwait subject professes to have found
his camels in the possession of an Iraqi tribesman he is sent, by the Political
Agent to ’Iraq where the matter is investigated by he Officer-in-Charge of the
Southern Desert and the claimant is compelled to abide by his decision. I he
Shaikh of Kuwait is naturally unwilling to agree to Ibn Baud’s proposal but
contends that Nejd claimants should be sent to Kuwait with their witnesses
where the case would be investigated by the Shaikh and Kuwait claimants
should he sent to Nejd. If King Ibn Baud contends that the impartiality ot
the Kuwait officials is also not above suspicion in a matter ot this nature,
Colonel Dickson informs me that he thinks the Shaikh would readily agree m
the Political Aaent supervising the proceedings. In any case this, I am
informed, is the"general practice and there seems to be no reason why it should
be departed from in the present instance. The Shaikh of Kuwai ias ^ere
fore written to Ibn Baud declining to agree to his proposal and putting
forward the counter-suggestion outlined above.
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