File 4535/1928 Pt 8 ‘ – PERSIAN GULF – QUESTION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTECTORATES OVER KOWEIT, BAHREIN, MUSCAT, TRUCIAL COAST.’ [‎81v] (156/194)

V. 7555/20.
Tel. from H.C., Iraq, to
S. of S. for I., B. 108, Oct.
13 1920, P. 7620/20.
j| Tel. from H.C., Iraq, to
S. of S. for I., 13944, ^Nov. 16
1920 : tel. from H.C., Iraq,
to S. of S. for I., Dec. 14
1920. P. 8851/20; letter from
Major Dickson to Sir Percy
Cox, Nov. 9, P. 312/21.
% Major More’s Memo.,
P. 2417/28.
* Tel. from P.A., Koweit,
to H.C., April 27 192],
P. 3260/21.
t Kliarita from Viceroy to
Sheikh, Jilv 19 1921,
P. 4384 21. '
£ Tel. from H.C., Iraq, to
P.A., Koweit, 1252, April 26
1921. P. 3266/21.
P. 115/23.
Koweit Diary for Dec. 1-8
1922, para. 195, P. 463/23.
P. 915/23.
Letter from H.C., Iraq, to
P.A., Koweit, April 19 1923,
P. 17-5 23.
War. Sheikh Salim, on the other hand, claimed to take advantage of the-
frontier agreed upon between Turkey and His Majesty’s Government, as-
embodied in the draft Auglo-Turkish Convention. Sir P. Cox, having heard
both sides and formed his own conclusions, recommended that a meeting
should be arranged during the winter of 1920 between the principals with
a view to settlement. At this stage Sheikh Salim (who, like Ibn Sand, had
given an undertaking in writing to refrain from aggression pending the
settlement of the issues by the mediation of 11 is Majesty’s Government),
having failed to demobilise a considerable force which he had gathered
together at Jahra, at the head of Koweit Bay, was attacked by the Akhwan
and an inconclusive if bloody fight ensued (October 1920).
33. Thanks to the good offices of the High Commissioner, it proved
possible to avoid further hostilities, and negotiations continued until the
early part of 1921. In December 1920 Ibn Sand, who in November
had been invited to visit Basra with a view to reaching a settlement
under the auspices of His Majesty’s Government, expressed his willing
ness to accept the ex parte decision of the High Commissioner, but stated
that he was unable to go to Basra owing partly to ill-health, and partly
to internal political difficulties. In January 1921, no settlement having
yet been reached, the Sheikh of Mohammerah offered to send his son
Sheikh Chasib, accompanied by Sheikh Ahmed el Jabir, nephew and heir
presumptive of the Sheikh of Koweit, to Nejd<[ to endeavour to arrange a
truce between ibn Sand and Sheikh Salim. His offer was accepted and the
mission left for Bahrein en route for Nejd in February, reaching Ibn Sand’s
camp to the north of Riyadh on the 2nd March. On the 4th March the news
of the death of Sheikh Salim arrived, whereupon Ibn Sand stated that there
was no longer any quarrel to settle or any need for a frontier between his
territories and those of the Sheikh of Koweit'"’—an arrangement with which
Sheikh Ahmed (whose succession was recognised by His Majesty’s Government,
who renewed to him the assurances given to Sheikh Salimt), was reported at
the time to be quite satisfied. (Ibn Saud had already been informed^ before
the death of Sheikh Salim, that His Majesty’s Government recognised the
territory within the inner boundary (the red circle) shown on the map
attached to the Anglo-Turkish Agreement as definitely appertaining to
Koweit and not open to dispute).
34. No further developments took place until November 1922, when at
the Conference held at Ojair from 2/th November to 3rd December between
Sir 1 ercy Cox and Ibn Saud (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. , Koweit, also being present)
the Koweit-Nejd frontier came up for consideration. It was recognised at
once tnat the power of the Sheikh of Koweit in the desert was much less
than it had been at the time of the conclusion of the Anglo-Turkish
Agieement of 1913, and a settlement was finally reached under which the
frontier as between Nejd and Koweit starts from the junction of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. al
Aujah with the Batin on the west; running thence (leaving Riqai to Nejd)
in a straight line to the junction of the 29th parallel of latitude with the
ied semicircle on the map attached to the draft Anglo-Turkish agreement,,
and reproduced in Map 11 appended to this Memorandum ; thence following
the red semicircle to the sea south of Ras al Qulaiah. The southern
boundary of the recognised territory of Koweit was defined as above.
It was simultaneously agreed that the tract of country bounded on the
north by the above line, on the west by the Shaqq, on the east bv the sea,
and on the south by a straight line running eastward from the Shaqq in
the west through Ain al Abd to the sea north of Ras al Mishab, should be
recognised as common to the two States of Nejd and Koweit, who were to
enjoy equal rights in it until such time as a fresh agreement should be
arrived ^ at between them regarding it through the good offices of His
Majesty s Government. I his frontier, which had been negotiated on behalf
of the Sheikh (Major More, 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 Koweit, representing his
interests), was accepted by His Excellency on the 20th January 1923.
35. In April 1923 the Sheikh was informed that His Majesty’s Government
recognised the frontier claimed by him as between Koweit and Iraq and the
attribution to Koweit of the Islands of W arba, Bubiyan, Maskan, Failakah,