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Coll 17/18(1) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎576r] (1156/1354)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (673 folios). It was created in 28 Jul 1932-15 Jun 1935. It was written in English. 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. .

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- 4 -
7 * The othor is that of a suhaidy from the
iraq. Govemwat to the Shaikh to meet the latter’s extra
expenses in co-operative measures against smuggling. The
proposal was first mentioned in Sir Francis Humphrys- letter
Ho. SO. 629, dated the 3rd May 1938, to the Colonial Office in
connection with the date gardens, and my views were given in
paragraph 10 of my despatch No. 34, dated the 16th August
1938, to His Majesty’s Secretary of state for the Colonies.
In principle there are objections to a subsidy from a foreign
Power to a small State in special treaty relations with us.
As long, however, ae this subsidy could be camouflaged as
part of the compensation for the date gardens, its objection
able .features were not so apparent. The situation now,
however, as I understand it, is that the ’Iraq Government will
only give the subsidy separately and as a direct payment to
the Shaikh on account of his anti-smuggling co-operation.
This undisguised form makes the proposal somewhat more difficult
of acceptan.ce. Presumably it might be given in two ways*
Either (a) a lump sum to cover all expenses would be given
which the ’Iraq Government might feel themselves at liberty
to curtail if they were dissatisfied with the results of the
Shaikh’s co-operation, or (b) a sum to cover certain specific
items of co-operation, such as the placing of a a team-boat at
the mouth of the Shatt-el-Arab, (gee paragraph 3 above), and
the provision of a specific number of extra guards to watch
the Kuwait land frontier. (b) would be the less objectionable
form of the two. 'For the present, however, I would like to
keep an open mind on the question of a subsidy*
8 . Personally I am most anxious that relations between
Kuwait and ’Iraq should be of a friendly nature, and that any
obstacle to such relations should be removed. Apart from any
more ethical considerations, there is no doubt that whether
’Iraq - vis h vis Kuwait - has right upon her side in any
/particular

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Content

The volume contains papers regarding the alleged smuggling of goods from Kuwait to Iraq, and attempts to broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. an agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) and the Government of Iraq with regards to importation restrictions, customs appointments and effective frontier controls. It consists of correspondence between the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, 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. , 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 Kuwait, HM High Commissioner (and later Ambassador) at Baghdad, as well as communications received from Al Sabah and representatives of the Government of Iraq.

The file opens with correspondence concerning the activities of Kuwaiti water boats collecting drinking water at various points along the Shatt el-Arab: the Government of Iraq complained that the boats were not stopping at designated calling points, and that the boats were engaged in smuggling, while the Shaikh of Kuwait asked for the calling point requirement to be rescinded as it was causing interruptions to the water supply. The correspondence also documents instances where Iraqi customs barges had fired on Kuwaiti boats, killing and injuring merchants.

The bulk of the correspondence concerns efforts by HM Ambassador at Iraq, 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. at Kuwait, to broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. an agreement between the two parties. Several conferences were arranged with a view to discussing the Iraqi proposals, viz: that a British Customs Director be appointed at Kuwait to oversee the importation of certain commodities (principally sugar, tea, matches, coffee, tobacco, cigarettes, and cigarette papers); and that the Shaikh co-operate with Iraqi efforts to institute an effective frontier control and customs cordon.

In addition to correspondence, the volume includes the following minutes and reports:

The volume includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 4-5).

Extent and format
1 volume (673 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 675; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-672; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 17/18(1) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎576r] (1156/1354), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2878, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100063011517.0x00009d> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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