الملف E/8 I ابن سعود [و‎‎١‎٠‎٣] (٦٠٦/٢٢٠)

CONFIDENTIAL.
(82)
No. 1036, dated Bushire, the 8th (received the 20th) April 1914.
From— M ajor S. G. K nox, C.I.E., Officiating Political Resident in the Persian Gulf,
To—The Foreign Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political
Department, Simla.
I liave the honour to forward herewith, for information, the copy of an inter-
No. C-ll, dated the 2nd April 1914. esting letter from the Political Agent,
Kuwait, enclosing copies of correspondence
between various Turkish notables and Shaikh Sir Mubarak bin Sabah of Kuwait
on the subject of Bin Sa'ud.
2. I am not inclined to share the views expressed by the Political Agent,
Kuwait, in the last portion of his letter regarding the advisability of asking the
Porte to defer action pending the result of the discussion of Bin Sa'ud's position
with His Excellency Hakki Pasha. The fact that such a communication was
made could not well be conveyed to Bin Sa'ud, and would not therefore earn his
gratitude, and, from the general trend of the correspondence, I gather that the
" independent action " against which the Secretary of State desires Bin Sa'ud
should be warned is not so much warlike preparations to repel a possible invasion
as some form of entangling alliance which might injuriously affect British
interests. With both sides engaged in warlike preparations, which, from recent
reports, seem unlikely to lead to active operations, it may be hoped that the
possibility of such an understanding between Bin Sa'ud and the Turks is a remote
one and, so long as active hostilities do not result, and this eventuality is being
carefully watched, it would seem, from our point of view, that both parties could
not be better employed.
No. C-ll (Confidential), dated Kuwait, the 2nd April 1914.
From— L ieutenant- C olonel W. G. G rey, I. A., Political Agent, Kuwait,
To—The Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire.
1. Letter from His Excellency Saiyid M. I have the honour to forward, for the
•Arif bin Yusuf, Waii of Suriya. information of the Government of India,
2. Letter from Binbaahi Saiyid Umar Fauzi , j , ,
bin . Arif . translations of the marginally noted letters
3. Letter from His ® x ® ellency „ ( ^y^Z. i ! sha ' which have recently been received by the
War Minis ter of the Ottoman Government. " ^ ■'
4. Letter from His Excellency Snlaiman 0 f Kuwait in connection with the
Sli3ifici«Wall of Basrah* » j j_ f rv * • at * j
5. Letter from Sayid Talib of IBasrah# jprBSCirfc st/citG Oi cillSlirs in JNGjCl.
2 Saivid 'Arif, the writer of enclosure was formerly Wali of Basrah
and is well acquainted with Sir Mubarak and his family. Saiyid 'Umar, his son,
the writer of No. 2, arrived in Kuwait about 15th March and left by the mail of the
25th idem While here he spent much time in discussion with the Shaikh, he and
his secretaiy having been eloseted with hhn for an hour or two daily, bnt he did
not obtain the access to Bin Sa'ud which was the object of his visit, Sir Mubarak
decUninc either to give him any letter of recommendation or to take any steps
arrange the desired meeting. Enclosures 4 and 5 arrived from Basrah two days
aao and they will receive replies to the effect that Sir Mubarak does not see his
wly to assist either side and must decline to be drawn into the matter or to give
Ty advice, as although he sympathises with the desire of both sides to avoid blood-
shwior^ anything whrch woid produce enmity among Muslims he must be faithful
to his longstanding fciendship with Bin Sa ud.
_ tj . + w a TnrVi^h force of 1,000 men with five guns has recently
been enSmpK'zobair, and that the Basrah authorities had written to Ibn Rashld
caUing :forb|lshelp on t^eipt o^rHnch^they^mtend^ed jBasrahTa
Sir Mubarak informed y ^ rnm ti ™ Rashid. The latter is said to have
a^eptedStSX thSousandrifles which had been sent to arm his men, and
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