Page 112 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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then amount to a much larger sum than that originally estimated, without some
further attempt to protect the Ruler’s interests.^) They decided therefore that
there was no alternative but to let the legal proceedings then pending run their
course and to continue with energetic representations to the Iraqi Government.
141. In October 1953, His Majesty’s Ambassador at Bagdad spoke to the
Iraqi Prime Minister about the case and said that if the Ruler were not put in
possession of his property Her Majesty’s Government would hold the Iraqi
Government responsible for paying him compensation. The question was
poisoning the Ruler’s attitude to Iraq and it was therefore of the highest
importance that it should be settled without more delay. The Prime Minister
suggested some quid pro quo but the Ambassador said he felt sure that the Ruler
would not be willing to bargain.(333)
142. Her Majesty’s Government have been endeavouring since 1922 to fulfil
the pledge they gave to Mubarak in 1914. They have encountered innumerable
difficulties and have met with only partial success. They have compounded with
the Ruler over the question of the immunity of his property from taxation and have
paid him compensation for the loss of the greater part of the Bashiyah estate. Since
1949 the largest of the estates, that at Fao, has been in jeopardy as the result of
litigation and although the issue is not yet finally decided it seems likely that
substantial compensation will have to be paid to the Ruler by either Her Majesty’s
Government or the Iraqi Government. Ahmad and Abdullah after him have
raised the question of the gardens with the political authorities from time to time,
but on the whole have shown remarkable patience, in a matter about which they
have, it is believed, felt deeply. Abdullah when he visited Bagdad early in 1952
was urged to take up the matter personally with the Iraqi authorities. It is not
known, what he said on the subject but all he elicited was a rather vague promise
of help (paragraph 123 above). Economically the gardens are now of far less
importance to the ruling family than they were before oil was produced, but this
consideration is unlikely to dissuade the Ruler from doing his utmost to retain
possession of them and from insisting on the full observance by Her Majesty’s
Government of their undertaking.
(c) Saudi Arabia
143. At the opening of the period under review Kuwait was suffering from
a Saudi blockade, which had been in force since 1920 and continued until 1940, and
from Akhwan raids.(324) The blockade was maintained in order to force Kuwait to
come to some agreement about customs and transit dues on goods destined for
Saudi Arabia, while the raids were the result of a rebellion against Ibn Saud
and his inability at the time to keep his tribes under control. The rebellion
continued throughout 1929 with much inter-tribal fighting in Saudi Arabia and much
raiding into Kuwait territory. The Ruler refrained from giving any assistance to
the rebels but Ibn Saud sent Shaikh Hafiz Wahba to Kuwait to carry on anti-rebel
propaganda. The Ruler complained that Hafiz Wahba was acting as a “ Consul ”
and the latter was warned by the Political Agent to cease his activities. In
1930 with the collapse of the Akhwan rebellion relations between Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia greatly improved so far as raids and frontier incidents were concerned but
the blockade continued and in 1931 Ibn Saud maintained it by a patrol of armed
motor cars along his frontier, the tribesmen from Najd being forbidden to trade
with Kuwait. In 1932 the Political Agent estimated that Kuwait had lost 75 per cent,
of her trade as a result of the blockade. In 1933 Ibn Saud wrote to the Ruler
asking him to raise his customs duties to the figures in force in Saudi Arabia.(333)
The Ruler replied offering to accept a manifest system with posts along the frontier
where manifests would be checked. Ibn Saud did not agree to this proposal. In
1935 a conference took place between Saudi and Kuwaiti delegates at Kuwait but
broke down because the Saudis held that Kuwait was bound to prevent all
smuggling. In 1935 Ibn Saud wrote to the Ruler asking him to agree to follow the
“ Arafah law in respect of lost camels.” The Ruler replied accepting the
proposal^330) In 1937 the Saudis officially recognised the export of Saudi goods to
Kuwait and permitted a large number of Najdi tribesmen to enter Kuwait for
grazing and restocking in the market.
(3”) F.O. to P.R. 122 (EA 1462/1 of 1953).
(33J) Tel. from Bagdad to F.O. 584 of October 18. 1953 (EA 1462/6 of 1953).
(3*4) Paras. 36 to 42 at pp. 81-83, P.G. 13.
(3”) C.O. to F.O. 18148/33 of July 25. 1933 (E 4110/420/25 of 1933).
(33‘) I.O.toF.O. 341/1936 of January 18. 1936 (E 308/91/25 of 1936).