Page 65 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

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1001. It was therefore pointed out to Sir F, Lascelles
To Sir F. Lascolloa, that the German Government might take advan-
tage of his languago to arguo that the Sultan
Telcgraphic,
Angus'. 1U, could disposo of the tciritory of the Sheikh.
I'.IUl.
The view that the Sheikh was simply a subject
of the Sultan was one that Her Majesty’s
Government wore totally unable to accept, and
his Excellency was instructed to use languago
of a moro explicit chamcter.
To Sir N. O'Conor, Sir N. O’Conor was at the same time authorized
No ioy,
Telegraphic, to state, if occasion arose, that if ICowcit were
August 10, threatened, Her Majesty’s Government would use
1901.
force to prevent attack.
Important communications now took place at
Constantinople and London.
Sir N. O'Conor, Considerable pressure was being exercised on
Non. 1)2 and 1)3, tho Ottoman Government, by the German and
Tdugrnpliic,
August 21,1901. Russian Embassies, and, though a proposal of
the Vali of Bussorali to uso force against the
Sheikh had been rejected by the Council of
Ministers, Tcwfik Pasha informed Sir N. O’Conor
that Kuweit was regarded as an integral part of
the Ottoman Empire. A warning given by the
Commander of the “ Persons ” to the Captain of
a Turkish corvette o(T Kowcit that no troops
would he permitted to land was largely magnified
in transmission, and occasioned further protests.
Sir N. O’Conor, Tcwfik Pasha inquired on the 29tli August
No. 102,
Tehigruphic, whether Her Majesty’s Government intended to
August 29, 1901. establish a Protectorate, and on the same day the
To Sir F. Lascelles,
No. 300, German Embassy in London received a pressing
August 29,1901. instruction to state that a British Protectorate
would ho contrary to the Treaty of Berlin, and
that, in view of her interest in Kowcit as the
future terminus of the Anatolian Piailway,
Germany would he compelled to regard such a
proceeding as an unfriendly act. The reply in
each case was that IIis Majesty’s Government
had no such intention, Sir N. O’Conor adding tho
reservation “ provided that Turkey did not force
our hands by interfering with the Sheikh.”
Subsequently, the German Ambassador called
to say “ that if by threats of forco His Majesty’s
Government prevented the Sultan from landing
troops at ICowcit, they were refusing to rccognizo
tho Sultan’s authority with which they had
stated (in a Memorandum communicated by the
King to the German Emperor) that they did not
desire to interfere in tlioso parts, and that tho
German Government considered that Koweit
formed unquestionably part of tho territories
belonging to tho Sultan."