Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎20v] (41/540)

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41. The Saudi apprehensions about Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's activities were shown by
a visit paid by the Saudi Minister to Mr. liendel at the Foreign Ollice on the
4th February. Mr. Rendel was able to assure Sheikh Hafiz that Nuri 1 asha
was in no privileged position with regard to Palestine, and that there was no
question of His Majesty’s Government coming to any arrangement with any Arab
ruler about Palestine behind Ibn Saud’s back.
42. The next move was a message sent by the Imam of the Yemen to Ibn
Saud during the course of the Italian conversations, about the 13th March. The
Imam, telegraphing en clair, said that he had asked the British and the Italian
Governments to bring about a satisfactory settlement of the Palestine question,
and urged that Ibn Sand should do the same, and should try to persuade the I raq
Government to take similar action. The King told His Majesty s Minister that
this move was the result of Italian influence, and that, although he cared nothing
for Italy, the Yemen, or Iraq, he would like to have the advice of His Majesty s
Government as to a suitable answer. He did not want the Yemen or Iraq to
usurp a more prominent position in the Moslem world at his expense. On the
17th March the Iraq Charge d’Affaires proposed to the King that the two
countries should make a joint appeal to His Majesty’s Government about
Palestine. Various discussions took place between His Majesty's Minister and
Yusuf Yasin as to the terms of the replies which the King might like to make
to these embarrassing appeals. With the authority of the Foreign Office the
Minister addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs suitable replies on tbe
point raised, including a statement that there could be no development in regard
to Palestine till the Technical Commission presented its report, a refusal to admit
Italian intervention, and an expression of their opinion that joint representations
would serve no useful purpose. The King sent his thanks for these views, as well
as for advance information concerning immigration into Palestine for the six
months beginning the 1st April.
43. It is worth mentioning here that at an interview which a Palestine
official had with Dr. Shahbandar, the Syrian politician, in Cairo at the end of
February, the doctor stated that Ibn Saud had given his support to Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's
scheme for a Commonwealth of Arab nations, on the understanding that he would
be the suzerain of the federation. Each would have its own form of Government,
and the first step was to join Iraq with Syria, and then to bring in Palestine,
Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It seems unlikely that Ibn Saud ever promised
definite support to so unpractical a scheme.
44. In spite of previous declarations to the contrary, the Iraqi Government
handed in a memorandum on Palestine on the 20th April, and Ibn Saud, with
evident reluctance, followed suit. The Saudi communication, which was marked
“ Secret,” objected to partition, which, it argued, would not settle the Jewish
problem since Palestine could not absorb the Jews scattered about the world;
pleaded for clemency; and ended by explaining that the King’s silence exposed
him to embarrassing criticism. • When the text of the Iraqi memorandum (which
was also not for publication) was examined, it became evident that Ibn Saud had
cut down the Iraqi draft considerably. About a month later (on the 14th May)
the King said that the Iraqi Charge d’Affaires was urging him to consent to the
publication of the two notes. His Majesty’s Minister discouraged this idea and
the King took the same line. As for the Yemen, the Imam made his declaration
in the form of a telegram, also dated the 20th April, appealing for clemency and
suggesting that decisions (such as the establishment of the Jews in Palestine)
often turn out to be wrong when tested by experience. The Foreign Office
replied by telegram on the 19th May.
45. An alleged attempt at gun-running from Jauf in the Wady Sirhan, first
reported at the end of April, gave rise to a great deal of correspondence. The
King, while admitting that one of the suspected gun-runners, Muhammad Ali
Darwaza, had come to Qarayat, asserted that he had been expelled, and renewed
his assurances of friendship. Subsequent reports, however, supplied evidence
that some gun-running had, at any rate, been attempted. Seven cars were
reported to have reached Sikaka, east of Jauf, from Hail early in April, under a
strong guard. The activities of a notorious gun-running sheikh named Mijhim
Shaalan had been watched and appeared very suspicious. News of a consignment
of arms from Germany, sent via Turkey and addressed to Ibn Saud, but really