File 4535/1928 Pt 11 ‘Persia: Anglo-Persian Negotiations 1928-9. Policy of H. M. G.’ [‎112r] (23/378)

undertaking of 1914 that Koweit should be recognised as
"an independent principality under British protection",
but it has always been a matter of some doubt as to
whether our obligations extend to the whole territory
of Koweit (the limits of which were fixed by His
Majesty's Government in 1922-23) or merely to Koweit
town. Formal acceptance of unqualified liability for
the defence of the principality against Akhwan
raiders and against a possibly hostile Ibn Saud would be
a serious undertaking, while internationally the
establishment of a Protectorate might be represented
as an unpleasant instance of our aggressive imperialist
policy. Much the better course seems to leave matters
as they are, to do our utmost to prevent Koweit being
identified with Iraq, and to leave the question of a
protectorate until its consideration is really
necessitated "by developments*
6. As regards the third point referred to in
paragraph 1 above, it will be seen from the copy of
telegraphic correspondence between Simla and Bushire
received by yesterday's mail that the Foreign
Department have already sounded 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.
on Sir Robert Olive's suggestion (made in the
discussion in the c.I.D. in July last, copy of the
record of which was sent privately, in accordance with
the usual procedure, to the Viceroy), that the right to
maintain in Bahrein some sort of Agent might be granted
to Persia as a face-saving concession in return for
the abandonment of her claims to suzerainty. The
Viceroy in the private telegram despatched last night
was asked to consider this point, and to report on it