'File 61/14 XVII (D 76) Nejd-Iraq Relations' [‎196v] (403/440)

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7. Ou the afternoon of the 9th Sheikh Yusuf Yasin telephoned to ask
whether we should mind if he and Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. were late for dinner. He added,
on Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's behalf and his own, that things were going well and that
everything was nearly settled. I replied that, if they brought news of a complete
agreement on all important matters, it would be a happy evening for me as well
as for them. This little bit of encouragement was my only intervention in the
actual negotiations. Later, I heard that all the important questions had been
settled, not without difficulty, and when the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and the Sheikh arrived late
at the Legation they were extremely pleased both with themselves and with each
other. The utmost good feeling prevailed at our party, which was attended by
Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Ahmed Bey, Sheikh Yusuf, with other local notables, selected
members of the British community and the representatives of countries bordering
on Iraq.
8. I have related these individually trivial incidents in detail, as they show
the setting of the first meeting of capital importance in which Iraq and Hejaz-
Nejd have met, conscious of the presence of His Majesty's Government in the
background, but not looking to them for guidance. The event has proved me
wrong in my forecast that they would be unable to agree without British
mediation. It almost looks as though both sides wished to show how well Arabs
could get on if left to themselves; but it is only fair to add that, when I warmly
congratulated Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Sheikh Yusuf Yasin on the outcome, they
acknowledged handsomely how much they owed to Great Britain and her
representatives.
9. As regards the actual negotiations, I can add little material to what I
have telegraphed. Sheikh Yusuf said that he hoped to see me in two or three
days after a necessary return to Mecca. Meanwhile I have only the information
which Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. gave me on the evening of the 8th April. He expressed
spontaneously a wish to tell me something about what had passed. We talked
privately for over an hour after dinner, but I confined myself to asking only such
questions as arose out of his explanations and put only one important question
of my own, namely, whether he had disposed of the Ibn Mashhur affair. He
replied to this question affirmatively but without going into detail.
10. Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. did not dwell on the question of the desert posts, but it
appeared from his rather vague statement that it had once more been agreed to
have recourse to arbitration after a further attempt to settle the matter amicably.
He had had difficulty in getting the " Bon-Voisinage" Agreement actually signed.
The Hejazis raised all sorts of points of detail, and it was evident from what
the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. told me that they were still reluctant to commit themselves finally to
" Bon-Voisinage " without being sure of an extradition treaty. On the 6th and
7th April he found Yusuf Yasin sticky, and the 8th April was a difficult day.
Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. went off to the King at least twice, and eventually the
f ' Bon-Voisinage " Agreement was signed, while the question of extradition was
still under discussion. I did not gather what form had been finally given to the
clause on political offenders in the text of the Extradition Agreement. Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
spoke more of the play which he had made with the Iraqi law on raiding and of
the letter in agreed terms which it was finally settled that he should write on
that subject. He gave me no details of the subsidiary questions which the King
had wished to discuss, such as wells near the frontier, the collection of taxes in
the neutral zone and Wakfs, but said that the King had accepted his view that
these matters could be settled best in later correspondence. He left Mecca without
having actually signed the Extradition Agreement, but the text signed by the
Mmister for Foreign Affairs on the 8th April was brought to Jedda at midnight
and Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. signed it here on the morning of the 9th April. It is interesting
of texts Pnnce-Mmister apparently played no role except as a signatory
fhr J} h f , Nu T ri p asha seemed to he confident of putting both the agreements
through the Iraq Parliament before the end of the present session
A1 AtraJ W j\ StT Tu by the eagerness to get the question of Sultan
A1 Atrash and his followers settled on the basis of their being received in Iraq.
sub^eoTwit^wh^ >. catl01 ! ^ or trou bling you with a separate telegram on a
folirwed tS^spLdree^ithlarr' 81011 t0 ^ P reviousl y' alth ™g h 1