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              On the 14th April the Anglo-Porsian Oil Company, Limited, abandoned these
          operations much to the disappointment of the Ruler.
              On the 24th May 1932 Major Holmes was told that ho could renew his
          application for an Oil concession hitherto held up by His Majesty’s Govern­
          ment's insistence on the ‘ British Nationality Clause
              On the 25th May Major Holmes submitted a fresh draft concession to the
          Shaikh and sent a copy to the Honourable the Political Resident.
              On 251 h June after two visits to Kuwait by Mr. Gass, the Deputy General
          Manager of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, the Shaikh was informed that the
          Anglo-Persian Oil Company had received fresh instructions from London to
          prepare and submit a draft Oil concession without delay. This was presented •
          to the Shaikh on 19th August.
             Then followed an examination, in London, of the two Companies’ draft
          concessions by His Majesty’s Government's experts.
             •At the end of December His Majesty’s Government sent out, to the Shaikh,
          a lengthy letter consisting of a comparison between the draft Oil concessions
          submitted by the Eastern and General Syndicate and the Anglo-Persian Oil
          Company, Limited, together with the considered comments and observations of
          His Majesty’s Government, as far as the financial advantages offered by each
          Company were concerned. These observations of His Majesty’s Government
          were duly passed on to the Shaikh on 8th January 1933, and here for the moment
          Hie matter stands.
                             XI.—Posts and Telegraphs.
             The Post and Telegraph service in Kuwait continued to he run by the Iraq
          Government during 1932. This arrangement is no longer satisfactory or
          desirable now that Iraq has become independent.
             As a result of protracted negotiations carried out during 1932, His
          Majesty’s Government, at the end of the year, decided to inform the Iraq
          Govenimcnt that His Excellency the Shaikh of Kuwait was prepared to enter
          into an agreement with Iraq for the Iraq Post and Telegraphs Department to
          administer the Post and Telegraph Department of Kuwait under certain con­
          ditions.
             These above wore conveyed to the Truq Government on 12th January 1933,
          but to date no reply has been received.
                             XII.—Political Agent’s Tours.
             During the yeaT under review the-Political Agent again went all over the
          Slate by car and. visited practically every important point on the Kuwail-
          Sa’udivah frontier. In addition one comprehensive torn- was made of the
          Kuwait Neutral Zone.
             The object of the Political Agent in making these tours was to show him­
          self to the tribes and to familiarize himself with hinterland affairs, the state
          of wells, grazing areas, and movements of the various Bedouin sections.
             The keeping up of such 4 tours ’ is in the opinion of the writer an important
          duty of the Political Agent ; as above all they breed confidence among the
          Nomadic population and show trans-border officials and persons bent on mischief
          that the Political Agent is 4 wide awake ’ ; and is working in close co-operation
          jvitli the Ruler of Kuwait and his people.
                          XIII—Agency Charitable Dispensary.
              (a) ITorA- done during the gear 1932.—There were a total of 10,015 atten­
          dances made up as follows :—
                                   •• 5  females 2735
                          • #
               Adults                   males 3,221
                                        males 2,295
                                   - {  females 1,764
               Children
             74 minor operations were carried out.
              (b) Prevailing Diseases.
               Eyo diseases               # ••     # •             2,635
               Ear diseases      • #      • #      • #             2,140
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