(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
