'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎41v] (82/536)

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It was suggested to him at the Foreign Office that such frontier questions could test
be raised through the frontier authorities, or if that was impracticable, through the
Legation at Jedda. He promised to suggest the former channel to his Government,
but the latter on the 9th March addressed themselves to His Majesty's Charge
d J Affaires, invoking the inconclusive correspondence of 1930-31 about denial of
refuge in Trans-Jordan to certain Beni ’Atiya groups-(see 1931, January-February
report, paragraph 11), and expressing the hope that the British Government would
agree to refusing present refuge to the Beni Atiya in Trans-Jordan. An exchange
of views and reports on the facts of the matter proceeded between London and
Jerusalem, but no decision as to a reply had been reached by the end of the month.
’Iraq.
39 . Material for reply to Fuad Bey Hamza’s demarche of last September
(September-October report, paragraph 39), regarding certain remnant chiefs in
’Iraq of the 1929 Nejdi rebellion, was received in January, but v T as not used, as
Fuad Bey had not again mentioned the matter and the ’Iraqi representative was
expected shortly to arrive. The gist of the reply, if made, would have been that
these chiefs w r ere not near the frontier and that so far as w~as known they were
keeping quiet and had received no special favours. *
40. The ’Iraqi representative’s arrival is reported in paragraph 67. It is
to be hoped that he w r ill shortly be in a position to relieve the Legation completely
of questions concerning Iraq.
Kuwait and Bahrain.
41. Bucoe-Ihn Saud Meeting. —As soon as it w T as known definitely in Jedda
that Ibn Sa’ud had left .Riyadh on January 2nd for the Hasa, steps were taken
to bring about the courtesy visit to him of the 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 the Persian
Gulf, which had been spoken of at His Majesty’s Minister’s audience of the King
cn the 2nd March 1931 (March-April report, paragraph 29) and recorded at the
inter-departmental conference held at the Foreign Office on the 12th August
(September-October report, paragraph 42), as a necessary preliminary to the nego
tiation of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. questions. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs
having arrived at Jedda and His Majesty at Hufu, Sir A. Ryan was able to com
municate through the former by wireless with the latter and prepare him for the
visit. On January 17th Lieutenant-Colonel Biscoe telegraphed a personal message
from Bushire via Bahrain to Ibn Sa'ud and received a reply asking him to come
as soon as possible. Accompanied by the Political Agents at Kuwait and Bahrain,.
he reached Hsa via ’ Uqair on January 23rd, stayed 4 days in Hufuf with the King,, /->
and left for Bahrain on the 28th.
42. The following matters w T ere discussed with Ibn Sau’d personally or wdtli
his chief political adviser, Sheykh Yusuf Yasin :
(i) The Kuwait blockade ^
{ii) Emergency landing-grounds on the Hasa coast'
(m) Telegraphic and postal communication between Hasa and the outer
w^orld via Bahrain ;
(iv) Passport facilities for Nejdi subjects proceeding to India or Iraq;
(v) Possible consular status, of Nejdi representatives in Bahrain and Kuwait;
(vi) Incursions by Nejdi officials and troops into Kuwait territory ;
(vii) Possible simple extradition treaty between Bahrain and Nejd.
43. Ibn Sa’ud’a attitude throughout was one of extreme cordiality. The
visit was successful chiefly owing to the fact tht it was informed and that Colonel
Biscoe went with no instructions from His Majesty’s Government but merely‘to
establish friendly relations and talk over questions of mutual interest. Results
will be recorded as they occur..