'Koweit: A Report' [‎15v] (35/140)

Koweit flies the Turkish flag, and has done so f ir a number
cf years. Sheikh Mubarak exp’ains this circumstance by
claiming that the flag he flies, though similar in design to that
of Turkey, is his own and that its similarity to the Turkish flag
is fortuitous; or, at the most, that while other Arab tribes have
flags of their own design, his tribe adopted the crescent on the
red ground as a religious emblem only. He positively asserts that
he flies the flag of his fathers, and has never received one from the
Turkish Government, and has never regarded the use of his own
flag as a sign of fealty to the Turk. Perhaps a more probable
explanation would be that the use of the Turkish flag was adopt
ed, years ago, for convenience by Koweit’s shipping, especially
in their trade with the Turkish ports in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
The present position of Koweit wdth regard to Great
Britain may be said to have been defined by the Prime Minister,
the Right Honourable A. J. Balfour, in his declaration in the
House of Commons, on 2rst April 1903, on the subject of the
Baghdad railway, Mr. Balfour, on that occasion referred to
Koweit as “ within the territories of a Sheikh whom we have
under our special protection, and with whom we have special
treaties," and compared it with othei parts of the Persian
Gulf where we have no such * preferential advantages."
Military Forces of Kovveit.
Sheikh Mubarak estimates the strength of his available
fighting force to be—
(a) Fighting men in Koweit
W ,1 „ within 12 miles of Koweit
Total
Men.
19,000
12,000
31,000
It is to be feared, how r ever, that these figures are scarcely
to be relied on. Another estimate, which gives 6,080 men as
available in the towm of Koweit itself, appears to be more likelv
to be accurate. It is even possible that Sheikh Mubarak him-
self has no very reliable data on which to base any close
estimate of his armed following. With the exception of the
inhabitants of Koweit and Jehara, and perhaps the tribesmen
within a comparatively few miles of the Sheikh’s capital the
adhesion of the wandering Bedouin tribes must be a variable
lY r PTtant J faCt( ? r * Hence the importance of
Jehara to Kovveit, as a favourite grazing ground, and as such
attracting Bedouins to allegiance to Koweit.
In the winter of ,901-02, a portion of the army was en
camped jest outs.de Jehara, where 1 had an opportunity of
cleanlld^derW 6 Th* T'J neat ' y pitched ' and t ^ camp was
nanted in ^he y ' ^ ‘-."u 8 "' ere g rou P ed round standards
planted in Lie ground, with some appearance of organization.