(2021/60) Political Agency, Kuwait. March 9, 1960. CONFIDENTIAL 71/13 The correspondence about meeting Kuwaiti Shaikhs in Beirut resting with my letter No.2021/60 of today's date prompts me to ask whether you have any particular views on calling generally in Kuwait itself. I argue in my letter under reference that there has been a tendency in the past to overdo receptions and seeings-off, at least where the Sheikhs are concerned. We seem to have reduced this in recent years though not, I may ada, without some criticism from middle level in the Kuwait Oil Company for so doing. I should be grateful for your Views on the following: (a) When Shaikh Ali of Qatar came here in the summer, the Acting Political Agent called on him on a Friday within half-an-hour of his arrival (which was overland by route not known in advance and did not, therefore, call for meeting), because the Ruler of Qatar is one of the three in the Gulf who get called on first. Shaikh Ali, who was monosyllabic anyway, neither returned the call nor made any move to try to. He has been around long enough to know the drill. His behaviour amounted to deliberate or careless dis courtesy. Do you think it either justifiable or wise to omit a call on him next time he turns up? (b) Do you expect us to meet all Members of Parliament on arrival? As a Consul in the United States, I used to meet Ministers only. It can be a waste of time and is virtually pointless if they are accommodated and met by the Kuwait Oil Company. Sometimes the attempt is completely abortive. We were told, for instance (Ford's letter No.1631 of Tebruary 26) that Major Patrick Wall, M.P. would be in Kunait in transit for 13 hours on March 8 late in the evening. One of my staff hung around the airport for some two hours (the aircraft was late) only to find that he was not on it. I should like to spare my start this sort of thing. (c) What should we do about visitors of differing kinds such as Sir Leslie Munro, no longer the representative of his country at Washington but an envoy of American banking interests or Mr. Hambro of Messrs. Samuel Montagu, whose merchant banking interests, though British, we do not necessarily wish to sae expanded in Kuwait. Both these gentlemen were the subject of introductory letters from the Department, which did not ask us actually to meet or accommodate but left us with the feeling that meeting, at least, was expected and accommodation would not be unwelcome. Obviously there must be a wide field for discretion here. But my instinct is to treat such visitors as persons who should, call on the Political Agent first and who cannot expect ! either reception on first arrival by a member of my staff or accomodation. His Excellency /2. A11 Sir George Middleton, K.C.M.G., British Residency, Bahrain. CONFIDENTIAL
