Page 447 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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Since that date until his fall from power and flight there had been
constant incursions by the Iraq Police. Propaganda against Kuwait had
been continuous and had largely succeeded in its purpose of convincing a
wide public of smuggling and gun-running by Kuwaitis and the Ruler.
2. On the 27th November, after the Iraq coup d’etat, it was intimated
that stringent orders had been given to the Iraq Police not to cross the
frontier and no incidents occurred1 afterwards.
No newspaper attack was made between the advent of the new Cabinet
and the end of the year. The cordiality of the new Iraqi Foreign Minister
when he passed through Kuwait in November was very marked and rela­
tions now are likely to be happier.
(c) Iran.
The only incident during the year occurred off Lingah on the 14th May
1936, when a Kuwaiti dhow bound for Kuwait from Zanzibar was shot at
by an Iranian Customs launch and 3 of the crew wounded.
Representations were made by the British Legation in Tehran to the
Iranian authorities. No reply has been receivedi.
’ {d) Palestine.
The widespread repercussion from the Palestine strike did not miss
out Kuwait.
Subscriptions were made but late in the day and the strike came to an
end just before the amount collected was despatched.
A most unfortunate impression has been given to the Arabs of North-
East Arabia by the whole affair and feeling was growing very strong in the
last few weeks of the strike. The summer heat and lack of desert water
prevented any young warriors going off by camel but some according to
reports were about to do so from the Northern Saudi Arab tribes when the
halt came.
Townsmen are outspoken in their dislike of British Policy in Palestine
and regard the affair as not ended yet.
VIII.—Oil..
The Kuwait Oil Company well at Bahra, North of Kuwait Bay, had
reached 5,900 feet by the end of the year. Oil has not yet been reached.
The personnel now numbers :—
British 15
American 18
British Indian . 38
Kuwaiti . 220
Others 2
With the wives of some of the above, there were at the end of the year 13
European and American women in Kuwait territory—a record.
The Company has established a camp of exploitation for their Seismic
Party at Ma’adaniyat, South of Kuwait and has applied for a site on the
water-front immediately west of Kuwait for development as a landing
place.
IX.—Royal Navy.
His Excellency Vice-Admiral the Honourable Sir Alexander R. M..
Ramsay, K.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O., Commander-in-Chie’f, East Indies,
visited Kuwait in his flagship H. M. S. “Norfolk”, from 14th to 16th Octo­
ber. He was accompanied by Captain V. S. Butler, D.S.O., Senior Naval
Officer, Persian Gulf in H. M. S. “Shoreham”.-.
Other visits were paid by His Majesty’s ships, sloops of the Persian
.Gulf Division during the year.
40(C) ExAffairaD«pt