File 4535/1928 Pt 8 ‘ – PERSIAN GULF – QUESTION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTECTORATES OVER KOWEIT, BAHREIN, MUSCAT, TRUCIAL COAST.’ [‎78v] (150/194)

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Secret Desp. from India,
ms. Sept. 10 1908,
P. 1809/08.
Secret Desp. to G. of I., 9,
April 8 1910, P. 3130/10.
Secret Desp. from G. of I.,
89, May 27 1909, P.864/09.
Desp. from Sir G. Lowther
to F.O., 396, May 28 1909,
P. 3615/09.
Desp. from Sir G. Lowther
to Sir E. Grev, 657, Sept. 16
1910, P. 4052/10.
P. 2062/11.
* P. 4214/14 (et seq.),
P. 2442/18, P. 5951/19.
B.—History of Koweit Affairs, 1908-28.
(1).—1908-19.
7. The history of Koweit up to 1907 is given in the foreign Office
Memorandum of 1908. At the time when that memorandum was composed
and until the beginning of the War, Koweit was of vital interest to Great
Britain in connection with the Baghdad Railway, and during the period
1908-14 Mis Majesty’s Government, in their relations with the Sheikh, had
primarily in view the consolidation of their position and influence in Koweit
in the face of the ett’orts of Germany to establish herself at the head of the
Gulf.
8. The vexed question of the rights of the Sheikh of Koweit over the
islands of Bnbiyan and Warba, dealt with in the Foreign Office Memorandum,
was carefully investigated by the local authorities and the Government of
India in 1907-9. The conclusions which emerged were that enquiry had
gone far to establish the claims of the Sheikh to the ownership of Bubiyan,
but that no satisfactory evidence had been produced as to his claims to
Warba ; and in the circumstances His Majesty’s Government decided that it
was inadvisable to raise any question of the rights of the Sheikh to either
island. (Both islands were recognised as falling within the dominions of
the Sheikh of Koweit by the Anglo-Turkish Agreement of -9th July 1913.)
9. Between 1909 and 1911 the attitude of the Turkish authorities in the
Basra Vilayet, who placed difficulties in the way of the registration of
property acquired in their jurisdiction by the Sheikh unless His Fxcellency
would consent to describe himself as a Turkish subject—an attitude which
inevitably raised the wider question of the status ol Koweit, gave rise
to considerable correspondence, in the.course of which His Majesty’s
Ambassador at Constantinople was instructed to make clear the views
on that matter of His Majesty’s Government. Circumstances, however,
intervened to make an immediate demarche by Sir G. Lowther from time to
time unnecessary or undesirable, and the question merged in the general
Anglo-Turkish negotiations initiated in 1911.
10. The Sheikh undertook in 1911 not to grant a pearl fishing concession
to foreigners save with the prior approval of His Majesty’s Government, and
gave a similar undertaking as regards oil in 1913. Subsequent developments
as regards oil concessions are dealt with in para. 29 below. With the
assistance of a loan of £12,500 from the Government of India, arrangements
were made in 1914 for the installation by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company,
on behalf of the Sheikh, of a water distilling plant, which was not, however,
brought into operation until 1919.' :!: '
11. The question of Koweit played an important part in the Anglo-
Turkish negotiations of 1911-14. An agreement was reached, and a
Convention, to give effect to it, signed on 29th July 1913. Under this
agreement, in the terms of which the concurrence of the Sheikh had been
secured, the territory of Koweit was recognised as an autonomous caza of
the Ottoman Empire; the Ottoman flag was to be flown by the Sheikh, but
he was to have the right to insert a distinctive emblem in the corner ; he
was to continue to be a Turkish Kaimakam, and his successors were to
be appointed to a similar position by the Ottoman Government; the fidl
administrative autonomy of the Sheikh was recognised within the territories
of Koweit proper, the limits of which were defined by the red circle on
Map No. II appended to this Memorandum ; within a surrounding area
(included within a green line on the map) which was occupied by tribes
recognised as dependent on him, he was, as in the past, to continue to levy
tribute and to perform the administrative duties of Turkish Kaimakain;
in both regions Turkey undertook to abstain entirely from any interference,
though the right tc appoint a Commissioner at Koweit “ to protect the
interests and subjects of other parts or the Empire ” was secured to her;
existing agreements between the Sheikh and His Majesty’s Government,
including the Secret Agreement of 1899, were recognised by the Ottoman
Government, and His Majesty’s Government engaged that so long as no
change was made in the stains quo as now defined, they would not alter the