مجموعة ٦ / ٦٧ (٥) "حدود جنوب شرق الجزيرة العربية وقطر (خور العُديد)" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٢] (٧٩٧/٢٠٨)

** هذه التواريخ تقريبية *iMP~'
THIS DOC UMENT IS THE ?^OPERTY OF HIS ^..JALE COPY
• ™.~—„—— — ; BRIT ANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 4403/1S0/91]
P. z.
577!
I
> L>
July 25, 1938.
Section 1.
Copy No.
I 4 4/
s
ju .
3oi j
76
(No 137) ^ Bullurd to Viscount Halifax.—(Received July 25.)
My Lord Jedda, July i, IMS.
1 MAVr, trie honour to transmit herewith, in translation, a note from the
Saudi (jovernment, dated the 26th June, about the eastern frontier. It is a reply
I ; ,je ] i K) ^ e > u copy of which was sent to the Foreign Office with mv printed
3634-JJfr despatch No. 72, dated the 14th April, in which the right pf His Majesty’s
Government to Seep tfieTArneriean"dircbmpany concerned informed of the frontier
situation was reiterated, and it deals also in principle with the question of
prospecting for oil in the disputed zone. It will be seen that the Saudi Govern
ment do no more than repeat their offer to refrain from prospecting in the disputed
zone until a frontier agreement is arrived at, provided that His Majesty’s Govern
ment will ensure that a similar policy of abstention is observed from the Qatar
side.
2. In my telegram No. 56 dated the 7th March, I reported Fuad Bey’s
‘ personal ” opinion as toHhe, sdrF of solution that might be acceptable to his
Government. Fuad Bey went to Syria 'on leave soon after that, and had I been
in a position to give him my views on his opinion, the reply was to be sent to him
there. It is possible that the Saudi Arabian Government have been waiting for
such a reply, but their reference to Fuad Bey may have resulted from their con
sciousness that he is the only person in their employ who thoroughly understands
the bilingual correspondence on this subject and can be trusted to write a clear
reply.
3. The deadlock is still complete. The only hopeful feature in the situation
is that the Californian Arabian Standard Oil Company are more and more
inclined to believe that the oil-field in Flasa is extremely rich. If this belief is
well-founded, Ibn Saud’s bitterness on the frontier question, in so far as it has an
economic basis, should diminish with time, though an increase in his income will
not make him less touchy on the point of prestige.
4. On looking through the file, I see that, owing to a regrettable oversight,
the Saudi note which I summarised briefly in my telegram No. 40 of the 23rd Feb-
ruarv was never sent to you. A translation is enclosed. 1 expect to proceed to
England on leave in a few days, and this question can perhaps be considered once
more while I am at home, though I have no useful suggestions to make. All we
can do it seems is to revert to our proposal for a preliminary examination of the
area in dispute,’ which is little more than a device by which we hope to convince
the Saudi authorities that Jabal Nakhsh is an integral part of the small Jabal
Dukhan range If the invitation which I have received holds good and I spend a
few weeks at Ibn Saud’s camp in Nejd next spring, it might perhaps be possible
to organise a visit to the Qatar boundary for this purpose.. ,
5 I am sending copies of this despatch with copies of enclosures, to the
Hrmonrable + he Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bush ire and the
Secret to the Government of India in the External Affairs Department at
^ ra ^ a ‘ I have, &c.
R, W. BL T LLARD.
Enclosure 1.
Saudi Government to Sir R. Bullard.
(Translation.) innwd Taif, June 26, 1938.
HlS HTrTG ILhell in repl ug to your note dated the 14th April, 1938, due
I REGRET the delay Mmiste r for the Mmistry for
tonTffS as to Xam^nformation wh.ch he has concerning the matter m
question whUe he, as you are aware, is on sick leave.
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