Page 82 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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^bflirish. Th,c .return journey was made along the Shaq depression and homo
Itfa Afynaqish.
The particular object of this trip was:—
(а) To.visit the Kuwait tribes camped on the Southern border of the neutral
.zone, and to see how they were mixing with the Nejd tribes lying
along side of them.
(б) To locate the Southernmost point of migration of the Iraq Shepherd
tribes.
(c) To examine the exact spot where three Nejdi merchants were murdered
on 8th December 1930 and which threatened complications with
Bin Saud.
On the 20th March the Political Agent went into camp at Araifjan on the
Southern border of the State, and returned on the 25th March. He again went
into camp on 28th March and returned on 2nd April.
On the 22nd September the Political Agent accompanied by the Ruler visited
Pearl Banks' by launch, 100 miles to the South of Kuwait and returned on 23rd
September.
On 20th October the Political Agent proceeded to Basrah to escort the
Honourable the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf from Shaibah to Kuwait.
The latter accompanied by his family arrived by air from the United Kingdom
on 22nd.
On 15th November the Political Agent proceeded to Um-Amarat al-Shaqq
near the South-Westerly border of the State via .Manaqish and returned by a
more Northerly route the some day. His object was to watch the movements
of Ibn Muharib, Bin Saud’s frontier official, who was reported prowling about
with'a war party inside Kuwait territory. Incidentally he visited the camping
grounds of the Kuwait tribes.
On g7th November the Political Agent proceeded to Qasr Abid 35 miles to
the South to examine another reported “Oil” seapage on the sea shore there.
On the way he lunched with Shaikh Subah an-Nasir al Subah at Ras Jalaiyah.
On 6th December the Political Agent visited Arfajiyeh to enquire into the
activities of. Nejd blockade parties. He returned by coastal route.
Xlll.rr”?osta and Telegraphs.
(а) The Kuwait-Iraq Motor Transport Company which started operations
in 1928 maintained a satisfactory service throughout the year, and mails which
the’Company contracts to convey were conveyed fairly regularly to and from
Basrah, connecting with the Overland Mail from Europe, the Fast B. I. Mail from
Indiaj and the various Air Mails.
(б) The Transport service maintained one official mail service each way.
between Basrah apd Kuwait per weekt-
(c) By sea, Kuwait was served by the weekly up slow B. I. Mail steamer
from India and the biweekly steamer from Basrah.
(d) The actual Post and Telegraph Office in Kuwait continues to be maintain­
ed and run by the Government of Iraq, though the coming admission of that
country into the League of Nations, as an Independent Nation, has made
the continuance of this arrangement highly undesirable. Negotiations have
therefore been progressing with His Majesty’s Government with a view to the
transferring of the Post Office to the Government of India, and for a British
Owned Wireless Station to be set up in Kuwait, in place of the present land line.
It is regretted that this important matter was not settled in 1931 and that
negotiations are still dragging on. By a strange anomaly Iraq took over the
British Telegraph line which joined Basrah to Kuwait, when the Post and Tele­
graph Administration in Iraq was made over to Traq Government. The Ruler
of Kuwait was apparently never consulted, and to-day we see the curious
spectacle of an Iraq Post and Telegraph Office with its staff clothed in Iraq
uniforms working in the heart of Kuwait Town. The Ruler naturally objects
greatly to this state of affairs and hus repeatedly requested Ilis Majesty’s Govern­
ment to put the matter right.
By treaty the Ruler of Kuwait is debarred from allowing a foreign power to
place a post office or telegraph office in his State.