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'File 61/14 VIII (D 55) Relations Between Nejd And Iraq' [74r] (153/782)
The record is made up of 1 volume (389 folios). It was created in 22 Dec 1928-29 Apr 1929. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
[Thii Document is the Property oi His Britannic Majesty 's Government.]
y
EASTERN (A rabia ). February 26, 1929.
CONFIDENTIAL. S ection 1.
[E 1034/3/91] No. 1.
Mr. Stonehewer-Bird to Sir Austen Chamberlain.—{Received February 26.)
(No. 44.)
Sir, Jeddah, February 6, 1929.
WITH reference to my telegram No. 17 of to-day's date, 1 have the honour to
transmit herewith a translation of a letter received from King Ibn ^aud in answer
to Mr. Jakins's communication of the 29th December (Jeddah despatch No. 230), and
a copy of the reply I have addressed to His Majesty.
2. On the receipt of this letter I immediately telephoned to the Acting
Minister for Foreign Affairs asking him whether, as the result of this communication,
he now understood the King s proposals for the appointment of arbitrators. Fuad
Hamza admitted that the position had not been made an^ clearer. I therefore
informed Fuad that I was addressing a further communication to the King on the
lines of my recent conversation with him (as reported in my despatch No. 39 ol the
2nd instant), and would be grateful if he would himself, when forwarding this letter,
explain clearly the various points and impress their importance on His Majesty.
This Fuad promised to do.
3. In his communication under reference Ibn Sand explains his conditions 1
and 2 to mean that if Iraq is to appoint one arbitrator His Majesty's Government
should not also appoint one, as the Nejd nominee would then be faced with both an
Iraqi and a British nominee. It appears from this explanation that Ibn Saud has
not yet fully grasped the meaning of the arbitration proposal.
4. The King makes no mention in his letter of condition 6, of which Mr. Jakins
also requested an explanation, and I have therefore again approached him on this
point. Fuad Hamza, speaking unofficially, takes the King's meaning to be that if
a decision is given in favour of Nejd, Iraq's feelings should as far as possible be
spared, e.g., an immediate demolition of the offending posts should not be demanded,
but they should be vacated and allowed to disintegrate by natural processes.
Similarly, if a decision is given in favour of Iraq, Iraq shall not immediately proceed
to build more posts, nor shall Ibn Saud reply by building a chain of posts on his
side of the frontier. The underlying feeling in Ibn Saud's mind is, Fuad thinks,
that every effort should be made in giving effect to the decision of the arbitrators
not to aggravate ill-feeling between the two countries, but as far as possible to soften
the blow to the party against whom the decision is given.
5. The King explains the intention of his condition 4 at some length. He states
that the object of the arbitration is to arrive at a decision on the points of
disagreement which have arisen between the two parties. He maintains that he only
consented at Uquair to cede to Iraq territories claimed by Nejd on the express under
standing (article 3) that no buildings should be erected on these territories. His
Majesty's Government have refused to accept this interpretation of the article; thus,
as his acceptance of article 1 was conditional on the acceptance of article 3 as
interpreted by him, his cession of the territories to Iraq becomes ineffective—thus
the dispute between Iraq and Nejd centres not on article 3 alone, but on articles 1
and 3.
6. Ibn Saud therefore requests that the arbitrators should be approached by
both parties with a view to their considering the question of the frontiers in
addition to the question of article 3, which, as it arose out of article 1, cannot be
considered alone.
7. I have addressed a copy of this despatch, with its enclosures, to His
Majesty's High Commissioner for Iraq.
I have, &c.
F. H. W. STONEHEWER-BIRD.
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and reports relating to affairs between the British Mandate of Iraq and the Kingdom of Najd. The majority of the correspondence is between Leo Amery, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary (both in London), Henry Dobbs, High Commissioner in Iraq (later Gilbert Clayton, Acting Hich Commissioner in Iraq), Lionel Haworth, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Bushire, Cyril Barrett, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bahrain, James More, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Kuwait, Ibn Sa'ud, King of Hejaz-Najd and its Dependencies, John Glubb, Administrative Inspector in Iraq, Gerald De Gaury, Special Service Officer in Kuwait, the British Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Jeddah, and the Government of India.
The volume covers the period of unrest after a revolt by the Ikhwan , including a number of raids on Kuwait and the Battle of Sabila, which effectively brought the crisis to an end. Subjects raised are:
- a raid on Kuwait by the Ikhwan;
- an attack on a car on the Kuwait-Basra road in which an American Missionary, Henry Bilkert, is killed;
- intelligence of tribal movements and activities, particularly those of the Ikhwan tribes of Mutair, 'Ajman, and 'Utaibah, and the threat and occurrence of cross-border raids, all gathered from reports by John Glubb, Flight Lieutenant Howes (Special Service Officer in Kuwait), as well as local rumour and reports;
- issues concerning the defence of Kuwait;
- the failure of Gilbert Clayton and Ibn Sa'ud to come to an agreement over the legitimacy of the desert 'police posts' in Iraq;
- the thoughts, motivations, and capabilities of Ibn Sa'ud;
- a second meeting between Ibn Sa'ud and Ikhwan leaders in Riyadh to try and resolve the crisis;
- the idea of a blockade of Hasa ports to force the Najdi tribes into submission;
- the Battle of Sabila and its aftermath.
Other subjects included are:
- the imprisonment of Nuhaitar ibn Juraiyid of the Dhafir tribe in Hail;
- the channels through which communication with Ibn Sa'ud should be made (i.e. through Bushire or through Jeddah).
Notable within the volume is a sketch map and extensive notes by Harold Dickson on the seasonal migrations of the shepherd tribes of the Lower Euphrates.
At the end of the volume (folios 378-382) are office notes.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (389 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically. There is an alphabetical subject index to the contents, at the front of the volume (folios 3, 4). The index entries include the folio numbers of relevant documents, to help identify and locate them within the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Main foliation: the sequence starts on the first page and continues through until the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled, and positioned in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: there is no folio numbered 2, instead, the second, third, and fourth folios have been numbered respectively 2A, 2B, and 2C.
Secondary, earlier foliation sequence: the numbers1 to 341 are written in pencil, but not circled, on folios that were subsequently renumbered 5 to 377.
Condition: the top left corner of folio 47 has been torn away, obscuring some text.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 61/14 VIII (D 55) Relations Between Nejd And Iraq' [74r] (153/782), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/584, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023663086.0x00009a> [accessed 25 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/584
- Title
- 'File 61/14 VIII (D 55) Relations Between Nejd And Iraq'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1r:1v, 2ar:2cv, 3r:18v, 21v:129v, 131r:297v, 298ar:298bv, 299r:386v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence