"تقارير إدارية ١٩٢٠-١٩٢٤" [و‎‎١‎٦‎١] (٤١٢/٣٢٦)

PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL EE SIDE IT CX, 1923.
73
The frontier line of Kuwait is therefore as follows :—starting from the
southern portion of Ras-al-Qulai'ah (42 miles from Kuwait), with the town of
Kuwait as centre, it describes an are towards the west until it intersects 29°
Latitude, and from this point runs in a straight line to the Batin, opposite the
junction of the Wadi-al Aujah with the Batin. The line then runs northwards
along the Batin to a point just south of the latitude of Safwan ; then eastwards,
passing just south of Jabal San am, Safwan and Umm Qasr, and so on to the
junction of the Khaur-az-Zaubair with the Khaur 'Abdullah. The territory en
closed within the above line and the Persian Gulf, together with the islands of
Warbah, Bubiyan, Maskan, Failakah, 'Auhah, Kubbar and Umm-al-Maradin, is
recognized as belonging to Kuwait.
The tract of country bounded on the north by the southern portion of the
Kuwait frontier as described above, on the east by the sea, on the west by the
Shaqq, and on the south by a straight line running due east from the Shaqq,
through 'Ain-al-Abd to the sea north of Ras-al-Mish'ab, is recognized as common
to the two States of Najd and Kuwait, in which both enjoy equal rights.
C ondition op the C ountky,
Trade with Najd remained closed throughout the year^
Beyond a few raids of minor importance, there were no incidents of interest
in or affecting the desert territory of Kuwait.
A very marked tendency was noticeable amongst Najd tribes to take refuge
in 'Iraq from the exaction of Ibn Sa'ud and at the close of the year Kuwait
Conference was being watched with intense interest, to see wheher 'Iraq would
agree to Ibn Sa'ud's demand that such refugee tribes should be compelled to
return.
1 A ems T eafpic- i
Two consignments of arms and ammunition, apparently smuggled from
Kuwait and destined for Dubai, were captured and confiscated by the Customs
Authorities at Lingah in March. The first consisted of fourteen rifles and the
second of twelve.
In July the Shaikh of Kuwait confiscated a consignment of twenty-three
rifles which were being smuggled from the town by land. A few days later he
received a letter from Yusuf-al-Mansur, saying that the rifles were for him and
asking him to release them. The Shaikh replied that, as he had absolutely pro
hibited the export of arms except on licence, lie regretted that he was unable to
comply with his request unless asked officially to do so by Government. He added
sarcastically that no doubt a true friend of Government like Yusuf-al-Mansur
would have no difficulty in arranging this. Yusuf-al-Mansur wrote again that
he was, as Shaikh Ahmad said, a true friend of Government, and again asked
him to return the rifles, fyit the Shaikh categorically refused.
N ajd C ustoms.
The question of the re-opening of trade between Kuwait and Najd, and
to collection of Najd customs in Kuwait had been discussed at the 'Uquair
Conference in December 1922. Subsequently, on a visit to Kuwait, His
Excellency the High Commissioner for 'Iraq had talked the matter over with
Shaikh Ahmad and persuaded him to agree to receive a visit from a Customs
expert on behalf of the Sultan of Najd tq frame a friendly Agreement, in com
munication with his own experts, to be concluded between the two parties.
Ibn Sa'ud had been informed of this. A long delay ensued, however, in which
Ibn Sa'ud said he was'awaiting an invitation from Shaikh Ahmad to send a
representative, and it was not till the 16th April that his representative actually
arrived in Kuwait, in the person of Saiyid Hamzah-al-Ghauth (a native bf
Madinah, who had passed through Kuwait with letters from Ibn Rashid in
September 1920).
From the first, the Najd envoy took the line that there were only two ways
in which a Customs Agreement was possible : either that the Sultan of Najd
should keep a Customs official in Kuwait to look after his interests, or that the
Shaikh of Kuwait should p^y him a fixed sum annually.
Lu6lFD _