Page 65 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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1001. It was therefore pointed out to Sir F. Lascelles
To Sir F. Uacolloa, that the Gorman Government might tako.advan-
tage of his language to argue that the Sultan
Tclcgraphic,
A ugus'. 10, could dispose of the tciritory of the Sheikh.
1001.
The view that the Sheikh was simply a subject
of the Sultan was one that Her Majesty’s
Government were totally unable to accept, and
his Excellency was instructed to use language
of a moro explicit character.
To Sir N. O’Conor, Sir N. O’Couor was at tho same time authorized
No 103,
Telegraphic, to state, if occasion arose, that if Kowcit were
Augu.it lo, threatened, Her Majesty’s Government would use
1001.
force to prevent attack.
Important communications now took place at
Constantinople and London.
Sir N. O'Conor, Considerable pressure was being exercised on
No*. 32 and 03,
Telegraphic, tho Ottoman Government by the German and
August 21, 1901. Russian Embassies, and, though a proposal of
the Vali of Bussorah to use force against the
Sheikh had been rejected by the Council of
Ministers, Tewfik Pasha informed Sir N. O’Conor
that Kowcit was regarded as an integral part of
the Ottoman Empire. A warning given by the
Commander of tho “ Perseus ” to tho Captain of
a Turkish corvette off Kowcit that no troops
would be permitted to land was largely magnified
in transmission, and occasioned further protests.
Sir N. O’Conor, Tewfik Pasha inquired on the 29th August
No. 102,
Telegraphic, whether Her Majesty’s Government intended to
August 29, 1901. establish a Protectorate, and on the same day the
To Sir F. Lascollei, German Embassy in London received a pressing
No. 300,
August 29,1901. instruction to state that a British Protectorate
would bo contrary to the Treaty of Berlin, and
that, in view of her interest iu Kowcit as the
future terminus of tho Anatolian Pmilway,
Germany would he compelled to regard such a
proceeding as an unfriendly act. The reply in
each case was that IIis Majesty’s Government
had no such intention, Sir N. O’Conor adding tho
reservation “ provided that Turkey did not forco
our hands by interfering with tho Sheikh.”
Subsequently, tho German Ambassador called
to say “ that if by threats of force His Majesty’s
Government prevented tho Sultan from landing
troops at. Kowcit, they were refusing to recognize
the Sultan’s authority with which they had
stated (in a Memorandum communicated by the
King to the German Emperor) that they did not
desire to interfere in thoso parts, and that tho
German Government considered that Koweit
formed unquestionably part of the territories
belonging to tho Sultan.”