Page 610 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

10 ADilN. REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1011.
The quietly wise and receptive attitude which Shaikh Mubarak displays
nowadays towards modern developments is both interesting and remarkable,
and one can only wish that wo had characters more the like of him in the
Rulers of MaGkat and Bahrain.
V/hen once he is satisfied in his own mind that any measure or^any
change is really utilitarian on its merits, and will operate to the benefit of
his interest or those of his Principality, Shaikh Mubarak seeni3 to be able not
only to divest himself of all prejudice, but also to ignore any that may be
displayed by his dependents. Witness, for instance, in marked contrast
with what we have experienced at Maskat, his spontaneous demonetization
of the dollar and his frank reception, as soon as he saw the time had come, of
the American Mission.
The salient items in the Kuwait record for the year are the visit of
’Abdul ’Aziz “bin Saud,” and his friendly intercoms with the Political
Agent; the crystallization of the A1 bu ’Ainain settlement at Qasr-us-Subaih
under Turkish auspices; the death of that stormy petrel Shaikh Sa’dun
“Pacha” of the Kuntafik indurance at Aleppo; and the inaguration of
the Arab Steamship Company under the British flag, an enterprise whose
fortunes it is too early to prognosticate.
Shaikh Mubarak’s relations with the Basrah authorities have been
cuieecent and eatisfactory on the whole, probably owing to the fact that the
Porte, haying ben engaged lately in negotiations with His J. "ajesty’s Gov­
ernment in regard to Gulf questions, including the etatus of Kuwait, is
therefore no longer under the necessity of keeping the subject warm by the
application of pin-pricks to Shaikh Mubarak as heretofore.
w The town was fortunately immune from any of the visitations of epidemio
which ahlieted other port3 during the year.

P. Z. COX, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Political Resident in the Persian Gvlf,