'Memorandum on British commitments to the Idrisi' [‎112v] (2/6)

2
On the 31st October, 1914,* the 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. , anticipating the above telegram, had
telegraphed instructions to the Viceroy, regarding the Resident’s proposal, as follows :
“His Majesty’s Government are unwilling, subject to anything which you
may have to say, to commit themselves to a definite offer to the Idrisi, fulfilment
of which they may be unable to enforce even in the most favourable circumstances,
and they are not prepared to undertake adjudication of details between his claims
and those of the Imam. His Majesty’s Government will, however, be glad to
exercise their good offices in bringing the two parties together .... Assurance
should be given to the Idrisi that Gfeat Britain and her Allies will not touch the
Holy Places or Jeddah, and that they have no intention of taking naval action
which will affect his ports. In the general settlement on the conclusion of the war,
he may count upon their diplomatic assistance to secure his autonomy. You may
promise him such arms and ammunition as can be spared by you. ’
Their instructions differed from the Viceroy’s in omitting all mention of the Farsan
Islands, a point in which the Foreign Office concurred and on which specific instructions
were sent to the Viceroy by the 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. on the 7th November, 1 9 L4.t
Meanwhile, on the 4th November, 1914, the Resident had telegraphed that the
Idrisi’s agent was leaving Aden to communicate to the Idrisi the terms of the Viceroy s
telegram of the 1st November, 1914, and that it was urgent that the negotiations should
be carried through. J
On the 21st November, 1914, the Idrisi wrote to the Resident expressing approval
of the suggestion that the Arabs should unite against the Turks, thanking His
Majesty’s Government for the promise to send him arms and to leave his ports
unblockaded, and asking that his independence should be assured, and a reliable
representative sent to discuss the preliminaries for an agreement.§
In view of this letter, the Government of India made the following proposals to
the 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. in a telegram dated the 20th December, 1914 |j : —
“ A reply might, we consider, be sent to the Resident, either by a letter or
through a reliable source, to the effect that Idrisi’s expressions of friendship have
been received with satisfaction by the British Government, who are prepared to
give him a guarantee of independence if he succeeds definitely in effecting a union
of his Arabs against the Turks and in preventing their use of his country as a
base of operations against Great Britain; also that the extent to which he
co-operates will determine the question of any further reward.
And on the 28th December, 1914, the 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. , with the concurrence of the
Foreign Office, accordingly instructed the Viceroy by telegram as follows ^[:—
“ The Imam’s attitude leaves us no alternative but to give a guarantee of
independence to Idrisi, and I therefore approve your proposals, although the
guarantee exceeds assurances sanctioned in my telegram of the olst October.
On the 29th January, 1915, the Resident reported that the Idrisi’s Minister had
arrived at Aden to negotiate,** and on the 30th January, 1915, that the Idrisi had seized
the Farsan Islands, forestalling the British Navy.tj
On the 3rd February, 1915, the Resident telegraphed as follows JJ:—
“The Idrisi’s Minister here is quite prepared to attack the Turks at once
.... He asxs for a protectorate treaty with us, and wants arms and ammunition
immediately, and a sum of money to further bis object .... Terms of Hny
subsequent treaty need only include his security against attack by sea, and a
promise of diplomatic support after the war to secure autonomy against his rival,
the Imam.”
In reply to this telegram, the Government of India sent the Resident instructions,
of which they informed the 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. on the 5th February, 1915 §§:—
“ W e have .... authorised Resident to negotiate treaty with Idrisi on
understanding that this is subject to confirmation of Government of India, and that
any terms likely finally to alienate Imam while still wavering are avoided.”
* 66302/14 and 68203/14. f 6;)670/14. J 67437/14.
§ Telegram of the 17th December, 1014, from the Resident in 84480/14. || 87030/14.
1 87030/14 and 1305/15. ** 11366/15. ff 12433/15. 13751/15 and 15889/15.
§$ 14126/15