Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎417r] (838/1062)

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15. 1 ^iink it can be said that Shaikh Ahmad has genuinely tried with all
the means at his disposal to carry out the wishes of His Maiesty’s Govern
ment. He realises that he is between two powerful neighbours, that
1 °^ °x lj tW * 0 Kuwait tribes that count he is defenceless
and that his only hope of maintaining his independence is to rely on the
Butish Govemment. lhat the Akhwan have on occasion camped in Kuwait
territory and used Kuwait wells is undeniable, but that the Shaikh has co
operated loyally 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. in haying them turned out as rapidly
as possible with the means at his disposal is equally undeniable. It must be
borne in mind that the Kuwait boundary is indistinguishable on the ground to
tribesmen, and is a purely artificial one defined by no landmarks : it is doubt
ful if many Europeans would confidently say exactly where it runs. The
Shaikh has no forces at his disposal who are capable of turning out the Mutair
or the Ajman : the only method he can employ is persuasion. On the other
hand the fact that the Kuwait customs statistics show no improvement is proof
that he has denied them supplies. 1
16. His Excellency stated that he had recapitulated these past events to
show the relationship subsisting between him and Bin Saud and the difficulty
of effecting a settlement. To the support of Mubarak and Kuwait forces did
Bin Saud largely owe his original successes : at Hoffuf his life had been saved
by Jabir and Ahmad with Kuwait forces When Shaikh Ahmad visited him
he had promised perpetual peace with Kuwait, and at Hail the Shaikh of
Kuwait had afforded him every assistance in his power. Despite all this Bin
Saud would not abandon his ambition to rule up to the walls of Kuwait. It
was only against Kuwait that it was proposed to impose these customs posts :
there was no talk of customs posts on the Iraq frontiers though in normal
times many caravans left Zobeir for Nejd, neither had Bin Saud claimed
customs duty on goods imported through the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ports or Oman.
He, Shaikh Ahmad, was ready to agree to any reasonable arrangement com
patible with the maintenance of his own position as and independent ruler, but
he was convinced that Bin Saud would agree to nothing unless His Majesty’s
Government informed him in the plainest terms that they would not tolerate
aggression into Kuwait territory.
17. His Excellency stated that for 7 years he had reported every instance
of aggression to 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. , but as far as he was aware no representa
tions had been made on his behalf, and in no instance had any compensation or
redress been obtained. He added that as long as the rebels were in the fiel 1 he
had no fear of Bin Saud : he did not seem to think it probable that Bin Saud
would heat them in the open field, hut he did think that within a short period
terms of peace would probably be arranged. Dawish himself has stated that
he was sure that he would then be ordered to raid into Kuwait territory but
that to this he will never agree. And Shaikh Ahmad is convinced that as
soon as Bin Saud has come to terms with the Mutair and Ajman he will
renew the blockade of Kuwait and the raids into Kuwait territory. He was
most grateful for the assurances that he had received that in the event of his
co-operating loyally with the British authorities His Majesty’s Government
would endeavour to effect an honourable settlement with Bin Saud; he thought
however that past history showed that there was little prospect of Bin Saud
aoreeing to any reasonable arrangement, and that on one pretext or another
he would reject all proposals put before him, except under the strongest
pressure. He hoped however that, if his forebodings came true, His Majesty’s
Government would, in view of his defenceless condition, take such measures
as mio’ht be possible to protect not merely the town but also the territories
of his 3 principality and the property of his subjects, and also to obtain redress
for the past.
18. I would emphasise that Shaikh Ahmad spoke in no carping or
complainino* spirit: he is certainly an attractive personality, an Arab of the
desert rather than of the Gulf type, and as he himself stated several times
has spent most of his life among the Bedouin. He realises fully that since
the defection of the Mutair and Ajman he owes his existence as an independent
ruler entirely to the British Government. I promised him however that I