Page 295 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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contrabandists’ activities. Why, says Kuwait, should she " bo left with Iraq’s
bo by ’ or why should she “ poke out her eye with her own linger M,
(J. Kuwait further argues that she has no locul industries, except the pearl
trade winch unco live years lius gone. Nor docs she manufacture anythin/- or
grow her food. Unless she can sell something to somebody, she can get no
money to buy even her food and clothes, which all come from India.
7. Bin baud’s tl blockade ” has reduced her Customs revenue from 13 lacs
to 1 lac of Rupees in 10 years, Persia refuses to trade legitimately with Kuwait,
and now Iraq requests Kuwait to stop her trade with the hinterland tribesmen.
What, she says, will be left of her trade and how is she to make the money
necessary to pay for her food from overseas.
8. Both sides naturally have something to be said for them, but in the
writer’s view the Kuwait arguments easily win, since Kuwait’s very existence
is at stake. Iraq’s existence is on the contrary in no way threatened, also she
is rich, and almost entirely self-supporting.
0. On Dili May 1034 four Iraq armoured cars entered Kuwait territory and
for some 10 days roamed about beating and frightening the nomad population on
the pretext that they were looking for Iraq contraband runners. When the
necessary protests were made, the Iraq Government denied the allegation. Re­
ports on the subject will be found elsewhere. There were also one or two other
instances which might have brought about a state of strained relations hut which
fortunately were cooly dealt with by H. E. the Shaikh. These included :
(a) The cruising about in the Khor Subiyeh (Kuwait waters) of an Iraq
armed customs launch on 18th April 1934 and the firing upon and
seizure of two Kuwait woodcutters boats.
(b) The shooting and killing of an innocent Kuwait beduoin nour Jebel
Snnam (site of the outrage well inside Kuwait territory), and the
arrest and detention of his companion on 4th August. The men
were actually travellers with no baggage and the aggressors were
the crow of an armed car.
(c) The cruising about in Kuwait waters south of Warba Island on 31st
October of an Iraqi armed launch, and the firing on a party of the
Shaikh’s falconers camped on the aforesaid Island.
An iuformnl conference between Iraqi representatives and H. E. the Shaikh
of Kuwait was held in Kuwait on 23rd September under the aegis of the
Kon’ble Lt.-Col. G. Loch, the acting Political Resident. The Iraqi representa­
tives were J)r. Naji Beg al Asil and Tahsin Beg Ali, Mutasarrif of Basra. The
results of the conversations held were unfortunately nil.
IX.—Relations with Persia.
Those have been satisfactory on the whole, though the trade policy of Iran
has made it so impossible for Kuwaiti merchants to do any business with that
country that all legitimate trade may be said to be now dead.
X.—Oil.
The Kuwait Oil Company, an Anglo-American concern on 23rd December
1934, and after long and protracted negotiations, obtained an oil concession
from His Excellency the Shaikh.
XI.—Agency “ Charitable ” Dispensary.
(a) Was managed efficiently hv Assistant Surgeon A. L. Greemvay,
I..R.C.P., M.R.C.S., I.M.D., during the year under review.
(If) The attendance of patients os compared with the previous 2 years was
as follows :—
Out-door.
10,015
1932
14,310
1933
1C,452
1934