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Thus while the Political Agent was negatived, the post office wns sanctioned, hut a little
later on the question of the former appointment came again in connection with tho Nejd
affairs. On IGth May 1904 Major Cox telegraphed that Bin Saud had applied for Dritish
protection for himself and his country in view of tho Turkish invasion, and in repealing this
to the Secretary of State on 20th May the Viceroy said that it might become necessary to
revive the proposal to post a British Resident to Koweit in order to watch cvculs there in tho
ovont of armed intervention being persisted in by the Turks.
In reply the Secretary of State telegraphed on 21st May that if tho Turks persisted in
assisting tho Amir of Nejd, it might be expedient to reconsidf-r the question of appointing a
Resident at Kowcit Then followed the important telegram of 29th May 1904, in which °thc
Government of India made a forecast of events in Nejd, prescribed the policy which should bo
followed, and offered immediately to select a Politcal Agent for Kowcit if the Secretary of
State approved. That approval was communicated on 24th Juno, aud nrrangemonts have been
mado to send Captain Knox thcro at once.
It will thus be seen that Sir N. O’Conor has himself approved both of the post office
and tho Political Agent, and how, while now agreeing to tho latter much more important ap­
pointment, he can object to the former minor proposal, is net easy to understand, for, if the
stationing of a native postal and medical subordinate at Koweit would constitute a breach of
status quo (which ho formerly denied), it is obvious that the appointment of a British Political
Agent (or Resident as Sir Nicholas used to terra it) would do so in a far wider degree. In fix­
ing attention on the Bubiyan question lie would appear to have overlooked the moro recent and
urgent cases which have made it imperative to havo a British representative with Slioikh
Mubarak, the Turkish invasion of Nejd, which diplomatic efforts at Constantinople have failed
to avert. Our relations to the Turks and the Arabs in the region of Arabia must be regarded
as a whole, and the recent action of tho Sultan’s Government in invading Nejd constitutes a
breach on their part of the status quo which should free our hands from the understanding of
1891 and give us liberty of action in regard to Bubiyan also11.
341. Tho Government of India, in these circumstances ordered by telegram
dated 4th July 1901, that the Assistant Surgeon and his establishment should
he detained at Bushire. At the same the following telegram was despatched to
the Secretary of State :—
“ Please refer to your telegram dated tho 1st July 1904, regarding Koweit. The Assistant
Surgeon for the Post Office is at Bushire and ho was to 6tart forthwith with Major Knox who
had been selected for the Political Agency in compliance with the instructions contained in
your telegram of 24'.h June. The departure of both has been deferred, but we trust that in
view of tho reported arrival of Turkish troops at Hail, which is a sciiona disturbance of tho
status quo, the Porte will be pressed for a very early reply about Bubiyau or that tho officers
may be allowed to proceed to Koweit. It is worth mentioning that the Turkish Consul
General at Bushire is claiming to repiesant a Koweit Arab, though the Persian Governor is
prepared to recognise the right of tho British Consul General to protect him ”.

XL. Appointment of British Agents at Koweit.
June 1899—August 1903.
342. In June 1899 the Government of India sanctioned the appointment of
a secret News Agent at Kowcit on pay not
External B., July 1900, Noi. 4-6.
exceeding Rs. 50 a month, as an experi­
mental and temporary measure. In his letter No. 272, dated 26th November
1900, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf proposed that the News Agent
at Koweit should be retained for the pre­
External A., Jane 1901, Nob. 82*89.
sent and in paragraph 4 of our letter No.
923-E.A., dated 7th June 1901, this proposal was sanctioned.
343. In January 1902 in connection with a request which had been preferred
by the Sheikh of Koweit for the establish­
Secret E., May 1902, Roe. 13-17.
ment of a post office at that port, Colonel
Kcmball was directed to consider whether it would he desirable to appoint a
native agent to reside at Kowcit. Colonel Kcmball objected to the appointincn
of such an agent there, since in the agreement of January 1899 the Sheikh hat
agreed not to receive a foreign agent without our consent, and our appointmen
of an agnut might give an excuse to other powers to appoint agents. It was
eventually decided to let the question lie over until a regular steamer scrvico
had been instituted between Kowcit and other ports in tho Persian Gulf.
a service having been subsequently established by the British India
Navjgitiori Company, Coloivl ICemball in a letter, dated the 28th March '• >
again raised the question of the substitution of a better class of agent lor
news*writer at Kowcit. He was told in a demi-official letter that tho