"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٣] (٤٣٤/٢٤٦)

23
(35).
Endorsement by the Foreign and Political Department, No. F.-12-N./36,
dated the 8th May 1936.
A copy of the undermentioned paper is forwarded to the Finance Department
lor information (vide Finance Department Unofficial reference No. D.-3347-F.
dated the 14th May 1936), for information:—
Memorandum from His Majesty’s Minister, Jedda, No. 33 (595/238/10)>
dated the 29th March 1936, and enclosure [Serial No. (27)].
(36)
(Received on 6th June 1936, with Political Secretary's letter No. 21, dated the 21st
May 1936.)
Enclosure in Foreign Office Covering Letter, dated I9th May 1936).
Letter from His Majesty s Minister, Jedda, to the Foreign Office, No.
106 (688/385/15), dated the 14th April 1936.
With reference to my despatch No. 57 of February 28th, I have the honour to ^ ,
state that M. Maigret, the French Minister here, is to proceed again to San’a on
April 16th m the French warship Bougainville, which arrived in Jedda on
April 11th, m order to sign the Treaty of Friendship which has been the subject
of negotiation for some time past between the French and the Yemeni Govern-
pients.
2. M ; Maigret told me to-day that he had practically completed the negotia
tions during his last visit to San a. At the last moment, however, the Yemeni
mister for Foreign Affairs dropped out of the negotiations for some reason
(probably, I think, illness), and the King of the Yemen had appointed another
adviser to take his place. This gentleman, wishing to show zeal, took exception
to certain phrases, and the negotiations could not be completed. The French
Government had now agreed to the amendments desired by the Yemeni Govern
ment and there was no further obstacle to the conclusion of the Treaty.
. ^ 3 - M - Maigret described the Treaty as being a simple and rather anodyne
mstrument, but I gathered that it contains certain commercial provisions.
Ihe most important point outstanding when my French colleague last left the
Yemen was apparently the wording of the most-favoured-nation clause. The
emem negotiator thought that the definition might be too general, if it provided
lor most-favoured-nation treatment “ in other matters” as well as in commercial
matters. I understood from M. Maigret that the offending words had been either
deleted or modified sufficiently to satisfy the Yemeni Government.
4 I am sending a copy of this despatch to His Majesty’s Chief Commissioner
at Aden.
lis 132fT>—25—27.6.36— G IPS