Page 129 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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(h) Telecommunications and Broadcasting
203. During the First World War telegraphic communication by land-line was
established between Kuwait and Basra. The history of this land-line is linked
with that of the Post Ollice (sub-section (g) above) until 1948
204. Discussions with Imperial and International Communications Limited
for the establishment of a wireless station in Kuwait were initiated by His
Majesty’s Government in 1932 but proved infructuous. They were resumed with
Cable and Wireless in 1935 but no agreement was reached until 1939. The Ruler
then confirmed a previous promise to grant the company a free site, undertook
to exempt material imported for its services from customs duty and not to subject
it to special taxation, and agreed that subject only to the rights held by the Kuwait
Oil Company under their agreements it should have exclusive rights over wireless
working with all external points and with aircraft.C4") In June 1941, when the
Company took over the Post Office (paragraph 197 above), they were only working
a restricted service with a small borrowed wireless set. Soon after this they
established their own wireless station, and in 1942 they installed an automatic
telephone system in Kuwait town.
205. Although the Kuwait Oil Company under their agreements were only
entitled to use wireless communication within Kuwait territory for the purpose
of their operations, it was agreed in 1936 that no objection need be raised to their
communicating with their tankers by means of their own wireless.(,i9)
206. Cable and Wireless had desired a formal agreement with the Ruler in
1940 but consideration of the matter was postponed until after the war. In 1947
after some haggling they obtained a concession for 20 years to operate telecom­
munication services between Kuwait and points outside Kuwait and services with
aircraft and ships at sea, to provide a telephone service in Kuwait town and to
receive and deliver public telegrams!1C0) (Appendix Q). This concession was
exclusive except for rights already enjoyed by the Kuwait Oil Company, the Eastern
Gulf Oil Company and the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department. Exemption
was granted from customs duties on material required for the company’s services
and from special taxation, and the Ruler undertook to take all possible steps to
prevent damage to or theft of the company’s property. The company agreed to
transmit private messages on behalf of the Ruler free of charge up to a stated limit
and to train Kuwaitis for operating telegraph and telephone installations. The
Ruler at first stipulated for an annual payment of £500, and was only with difficulty
persuaded to abandon this demand. In return His Majesty’s Government gave
him a substantial present of arms and ammunition. In 1948 the Ruler agreed to
lease two additional plots of land to the Company for 15 years for a total annual
rent of Rs. 9,500.r')

207. When His Majesty’s Government took over the Kuwait Post Office in
1948 neither the General Post Office nor Cable and Wireless wished to assume
responsibility for the land-line to Basra, and the latter proposed to establish direct
wireless communication with Iraq. Negotiations ensued with the Iraqi authorities
who wished to maintain the land-line and proposed to sell the Kuwait portion of it
to His Majesty’s Government. Eventually in 1951 they agreed to the abandonment
of the land-line and made proposals for the introduction of a wireless link.(“s)
208. When the Ruler visited Iraq in the spring of 1952 his staff reached an
informal agreement with the Iraqi authorities that charges for telegrams between
the two countries should be at inland rates and that no attempt should be made
to restore the land-line, but that wireless telegraphic and telephonic communication
should be established between Kuwait and Fao, and the Ruler asked Her Majesty’s
Government to enter into a formal agreement with the Iraqi Government on his
behalf accordingly(“3) (paragraph 123 above). As in the case of postal matters
(paragraph 201 above) it was decided to leave it to Cable and Wireless to negotiate
direct with the appropriate Iraqi authorities. No final arrangement had been
P4*) I O to F.O. P.Z. 5263/39 of September 13, 1939 (E 6478/293/91 of 1939).
(-”) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 3531 /36 of July 13. 1936 fE 4426/378/91 of 1936).
(«•») i.o. to F.O. Ext. 1200 of May 30. 1947 (W 4068/246/801 of 1947).
(4<l) P.R. to F.O. 51/88 of September I. 1948 (W 5513/956/801 of 1948).
f***) G.P.O. to F.O. 14993/38/31 of November 3. 1951 (GT 50/2 of 1951).
(443) P.R. to F.O. Despatch 30 of April 15, 1952 (EA 10393/15 of 1952).