Page 232 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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(c) Several eases of attacks by Iraq armed launches on Kuwait sailing-
craft: alleged to be smuggling goods into Iraq. * ‘ b
(/) Demand by the Iraq Government that the Shaikh should take aelivo
measures to put. a stop to the smuggling into Iraq territory from
Kuwait. The chief of these measures were :—
1. The acceptance of an ’Iraqi customs official in Kuwait to watch
their interests.
2. The maintaining of patrols and guards on the Kuwait side of the
frontier to control land smuggling.
The Shaikh politely declared his inability to adopt Iraq’s suggestion for
financial and other reasons and suggested that an Iraq customs officii should
visit Kuwait to confer with him. This, in turn, was declined by the Iraq Govern­
ment.
In the Autumn of 1933 an attempt was made by His Majesty’s Ambassador
in Baghdad for a conference to he held in Baghdad between Iraq customs officials
and the Shaikh’s Customs Director, assisted by the Political Agent and the
Honourable the Political Resident. This again fell through due to the feeling felt
by the Shaikh that the “ dice would be too heavily loaded ” against him in any
conference held at Baghdad. He countered by asking for the conference to be
held in Kuwait where he would himself conduct Kuwait’s case, he offered also to
tighten up very considerably the question of sea smuggling (by means of
receipted Way Bills, etc.).
Cases occurred of attacks on Kuwait sailing vessels by Iraq launches.
In the matter of smuggling, Traq, by the imposition of her high tariffs, has
only herself to blame, if trade is diverted to Kuwait, and is smuggled across her
borders. The one thing that is certain is that the remedy lies in her hands
entirely. She could, for instance, try one or more of the following measures :—
(1) Reduce her high customs tariffs.
(2) Employ her own Bedouin to assist in stopping smuggling as Bin Saud
does.
(3) Place customs posts along her frontier. There are none for 100 miles
or more.
(4) Patrol her borders with armed cars.
(5) Forbid Iraq merchants to import cargoes marked lt Basrah option
Kuwait ”.
(6) Forbid the export to Kuwait of “ bonded ” cigarettes and tobacco,
which the exporters bring back into Iraq, with the assistance of
Iraq tribesmen in their pay.
VIII.—Relations with Persia.
1. General.—These have not changed. Persia docs not recognise Kuwait,
and Kuwait reciprocates by having as little to do with her neighbour as possible.
2. Passports.—(a) The Passport question still makes it impossible for a
Kuwait merchant, anxious to do trade, to enter Mohammcrah or other Persian
port, and the only trade that exists between the two countries, is that carried
on by villagers from the Persian side of the Shatt al Arab and the Marina slur
estuary of the Karun, who come in small boats to sell vegetables, fruit,
“ bhoosa ”, barley and oilier eatables, and return with petty cargoes of contra­
band. Such people never possess papers or passports of any kind and the Kuwait
Government does not worry them for any out of policy.
(l) A certain number of larger dhows (“ Bums ”) also come over from the
coast south of Bushirc and bring carpets, Abba cloth, nuts, spices, etc. l ies
also take back rice, tea, sugar and coffee in return. None of them possess pur­
ports or papers, for the simple reason that the Persian Government would n.
to give permits to such persons to visit Kuwait.
(c) The Persian Government’s attitude to the Passport
makes it quite impossible for Kuwaitis to trade legitimately with 1 ersia i

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