ملف 10/5 I المملكة العربية السعودية: امتياز نفط الأحساء؛ زيارة المُقدم هولمز إلى المملكة العربية السعودية؛ حصار الكويت. [و‎‎٤‎٧] (٤٩٦/١٢٢)

wl
("Received under India Office
endorsement No.P.Z.3841/53)«
(E 3253/1 2/91)•
FOHEIGil O^ICIO,
S.w.l.
29th June, 1933#
My dear Laith?yaite,
With reference to your letter No.J 3 .2.3189/33 of the 19th
June, regarding oil conceBBions in Arabia, we entirely agree
that it would be desirable, if poanihle, that British interests
should' secure the Kuwait concession. On the other hand, the
undertaking which froro considerations of general policy we
, ' ■ *
gave to the Americans, commits us, as you know, to an attitude
of impartiality as between the Ang^o—T^ersian Oil Gompanv and the
American Group, who are competing for the concession through
the Eastern and General Syndicate.
P. I understand that in the course of the exhaustive
xnteroepartinei; 1 al discussions with -^owle, when he was o^er
heie, the Question what action we could, take in the circum
stances to improve the prospects of the Kuwait concession going
to an exclusively British Oompany was canvassed in all its
aspects, and that ^owle knows what we think he can do in the
matter within the above limits.
?• ®e agree of course that it would, be unfortunate that a
bloc of predominantly foreign oil interests should be formed
along the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf. But this appears
inevitable in view of the facts (l) that under the Iraq
-'etroleum Company Agreement, in the whole of Arabia with the
execution of Kuwait and the ^arasn Islands, no component
company of the Iraq Petroleum Company may take a concession
without first offering it to the Iraq Petroleum Company, and
(?) that the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which is bound by that
agreement, appears to be the only entirely British company
interested in that part of the world.
4./
^• G• Laithwai t e Esqui re .