Page 165 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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BE VIEW.
A had Side.
T<r AviaUon.--Imperial Ainvftys continued their weekly service—East and
,'V eat—Uu-oughout llio year <uid with Hie exception of a few forced landings no
incidents of a serious nature took place. Kuwait is now included as a regular
port oi call,
Royal Air Force Hying Boats continued to patrol the coast during the year
and a lew flights of land machines wore also made.
The long flight from Gwadur across the Arabian Sea to Sharjah h proving
•an awkward obstacle to cope with since the necessity for carrying laive sup­
plies ol petrol compels the restriction of the number of passengers carried.
I or political reasons the Arabian route is still closed to private aviators.
Cruise of the First Destroyer Flotilla in the Persian Gulf.—From Septem­
ber to October 1933 the First Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet
made a cruise of the Persian Gulf visiting Henjam, Basidu, the Trucial Const,
Bahrain, Kuwait and Muscat. The cruise oi' this force created a good impres­
sion on the Arab side.
Oil Interests.—Competition for the Kuwait Oil Concession was carried out
by the rival companies--the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Eastern and
General Syndicate—until May, when the Shaikh declared that he had decided
to give it to neither party for the time being. By the end of the year the Anglo-
Persian Oil Company and the Eastern and General Syndicate had decided to
join forces under the title of the Kuwait Oil Company and approuch the Shaikh
for a concession.
The Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited, Bahrain, continued actively to
exploit their concession in erecting buildings, plants, and sinking of weil. Dur­
ing the year a number of wells were sunk which were understood to give pro­
mise of a good yield of oil and the Company contemplated shipping oil from
the middle of 1934. The Company during the year introduced a number of
British subjects amongst their personnel and as regards their superior staff
these numbered 8 compared with 19 Americans.
Qatar.—The Anglo-Persinn Oil Company under the terms of their two-year
agreement with the Shaikh of Qatar carried out several geological surveys. Their
cllorts to obtain a definite concession had not by the end of the year met with
success.
Kuwait.—Date Gardens.—Nothing further of a definite nature towards a
solution of this very difficult problem was accomplished during the year.
Pearling.—This, tiro staple industry of Kuwait, had a slightly better season
than those of the last four preceding years.
Smuggling.—Smuggling into ’Iraq from Kuwait continued to bo pursued
during the year duo to the high import tariffs maintained by the former. The
’Iraq Government endeavoured unsuccessfully to persuade the Shaikh of Kuwait
to take upon himself the onus of stopping smuggling from his territory. Ak
attempt hv His Majesty’s Ambassador at Baghdad to call a conference there
between the representatives of Kuwait and ’Iraq to discuss this problem, unfor­
tunately came to nothing owing to the attitude of the Shaikh.
As an important factor in this problem it must he remembered that while
Kuwaitis are amongst fhose who actually smuggle goods by sea into ’Iraq terri­
tory from Kuwait, on land it. is the ’Iraki tribesmen themselves who are the
carriers—Kuwait being merely the market where they purchase their goods.
In April and again in October Kuwait dhows were fired upon by armed
’Iraq Customs launches in what was alleged to ho Kuwait waters and casual­
ties to Kuwait boatmen were sustained. The ’Iraq Government’s reply to
representations made on behalf of the Shaikh was that the incidents took place
in ’Iraq waters.
niochadr— Ibn Sand’s blockade of exports into Saudi Arabia from Kuwait
was vigorously enforced during the year. This naturally continued to cause
considerable loss m the inhabitants of the Principality who are largely depend­
ent on their transit trade.
Bahrain— Pearl; a a.—'The catch for 1933 is reported to have been poor
in quality and quantity mid the market stagnant. Several loading pearl mer-
chants suggested the advisability of closing the pearl hanks fori the season.
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