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CHAPTER IX.
Admixisibation Report of the Kuwait Political Agency for the year 1933.
I.—Personnel.
Agency .hl^gW ILfJ, 0IA- hdd c,lnr^ of the Political
(b) Assistant Surgeon A L. Greenwny, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. (Lond.),
awis in medical charge ol the Charitable Dispensary and performed the duties of
Quarantine officer tliroughout Uic year.
II.—The Ruling Family.
r, r( n T!o ,1{l!,cr’ IIis Ext'cl.le"c.v Shaikh Sir Ahmad al Jabir-as-Sabah,
Jv.C.I.pj., has managed his State during the year under review with more
than ordinary ability and success. He has maintained correct and friendly
relations with his two powerful neighbours, the Kingdom of ’Iraq and the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, lying to the North and South of his territory
respectively.
(b) The closeness of the trade blockade into Saudi Arabia which during the
year under review continued to be controlled by the notoriously harsh Governor
of Hasa, the Amir Abdulla bin Jaloui al Sand, coupled with the partial failure
of the 1933 Pearl Season (for the fifth year in succession) has once again brought
misery and distress to the Town, and has required much patience and firmness
on the part of the Ruler to prevent indignant members of his family from intrigu­
ing with the trans-border tribes of Bin Saud, especially as the King’s long drawn
out dispute with the Imam of Yemen appeared to offer an ideal chance of doing
so. In this matter of Bin Saud’s Blocakde, the Ruler has steadfastly adopted
a non-irritating policy towards the King, and has continued to place his reliance
on the promise given him by Ilis Majesty’s Government during the “ Akhwan ”
rebellion of 1929-30, which was to the effect that in return for his (the Shaikh of
Kuwait’s) neutrality and co-operation, the British Government would use her
best endeavours to bring about the raising of the Blockade.
III.—The Political Agent's relations with the Shaikh.
The relations between His Majesty’s Political Agent and the Ruler have
continued to be of a most cordial and satisfactory nature during the year under
review.
IV.—Local Interests.
(a) Customs.—1. A full report on the imports and exports for the year
will be found in the “ Kuwait Trade Report ”, a non-confidcntial publication.
2. The Director of Customs, Yusuf bin Jassim al Yacub, continues to do
satisfactory work and the Shaikh reposes full confidence in him. In actual
practice the Shaikh personally directs everything connected with the Customs
mutters in the State and Yusuf bin Jassim is nothing more nor less than a
glorified Head Clerk, who knows nothing about policy, nor is allowed to meddle
in matters outside the accounts branch, the boarding of steamers, and the land­
ing of cargoes.
3. The port “ Lighter ” service has been efficient and continues to work on
the lines introduced "last venr whereby no boats go out to steamers until the
latter have cast anchor and lowered the “ Haji Daly ” ■- black cross (invented
latter have cast anchor and lowered the tl Haji Daly ”, a
bv Major Dalv of Bahrain) indicating that the ships engines had definitely
stopped. Captains of ships have not been slow to praise the new system, and
now come right into the inner harbour opposite the Agency, thus showing a
graceful appreciation of what has been done to meet their "wishes in the matter.
4 Customs receipts in 1933 for the first time for some years took a turn for
the better. Figures for the year have not been published as yet, but according
to the Shaikh, should show an improvement on 1932 of some Rs. 30,000. This
is due primarily to improved world conditions, better trade with the hinterland
tribes and to a’lesscr extent to smuggling with Saudi Arabia, ’Iraq and Persia
and perhaps to slightly improved pearl conditions. His Excellency remarked
that for the first time during the last six years, customs receipts had been
sufficient to meet the monthly salaries of the many scions of the Shaikhly House
of the “ Al Sabah ”. In previous years ho had invariably to dip into State
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