Page 100 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

Shakespcar’s last attempt, in May 1913, to urge the Government
of India to alleviate “what is one of the most hampering restrictions
to the general prosperity of this growing port, by the issue of very early
orders for the establishment of an Indian Inland Post Office similar
to that at Bahrain” concluded “I venture to think that no further
grounds now exist for delaying any longer a most beneficial and, I
would add, inevitable measure”.
This plea was sent by the Government of India to the Secretary
of State on July 31st, 1913, with the recommendation that “Indian
Inland and Imperial Penny Postage rates may suitably apply as in the
case of the Post Offices at Bahrain, Maskat and Gwadur...”
Nobody could say that Shakespear had not tried hard to have a
regular Post Office established in Kuwait, and it was not his fault that
“the delay in ratification of the Anglo-Turkish Convention, and sub­
sequently the outbreak of war, caused the suspension of the arrange­
ments regarding the long hoped for Kuwait Post Office”.
Arnold Wilson made an interesting note in his Diary in December
1914 “Calling at Koweit before entering the Shatt al Arab we grounded
on a mud bank. Anxious to avoid delay, I went off in a ship’s boat
with the Mail Officer, waded ashore, and walked nine miles into
Koweit to send telegrams and obtain lighters to take off the mail and,
if need be, other cargo.
However, it was the outbreak of war that finally established
Kuwait’s sovereignty of Bubiyan Island and removed all remaining
objection, on the grounds of Turkish susceptibilities, to the establish­
ment of a Post Office in Kuwait; and the landing of the Indian Expedi­
tionary Force on November 5th at Fao, at the mouth of the Shatt al
Arab, created a situation that was sufficiently embarrassing to force
the issue. The postage rate from Kuwait to India had hitherto been
2Vl annas per oz., whereas following the British occupation of Fao,
letters could be sent from there to India at Indian Inland rates. In the
words of the Viceroy in a telegram to London in January 1915, “non­
reduction of Kuwait rates is now inconveniently misinterpreted” -
which is hardly surprising; particularly as mails to and from Kuwait
were, at this time, routed through Fao!
This telegram is minuted “Am authorising establishment of regular

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