File 2182/1913 Pt 7 'Arabia: Policy toward Ibn Saud' [‎165v] (332/420)

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there was evidence that the Lurks were still active in Aialiia. hews was
received from Ibn Sa’ud and from other sources of the despatch of an agent
(Muhammad Taufiq ibn Faraun of Damascus) for the purpose of buying-
camels for the Ottoman Government; the emissary was well chosen, for
he was a personal friend of Ibn Sa’ud and had visited Najd on the same
business the previous year. But on this occasion the Amir was pressed by
us to prevent him from obtaining camels ; he- accordingly arrested Ibn
Fara’un, confiscated 700 camels which had been purchased in the interior,
and sent them to Kuwait. Various reports, some of which came from Ibn
Sa’ud indicated that another attempt to stir up Ibn Rashid against us
was in the wind. Rushaid Ibn Lailah, Ibn Rashid’s representative at Con
stantinople, joined him at Hail, with a few German and Turkish officers,
a small body of Turkish soldiers, and some guns-; accounts varied as to
the exact composition of the mission, but its presence m Hail in some
form seemed fairly certain. Ibn Sa’ud had written in September that he
would be glad of a personal interview with the Chief Political Officer
to discuss the question of co-operation with the Sharif or offensive action
against Ibn Rashid. In October he repeated the request urgently, and
on all grounds it seemed advisable to accede to it. Sir Percy Cox met
him at Ojair on 11th November. Ibn Sa’ud explained to him his position
in detail. He had lost considerably in men and material in the fight
with Ibn Rashid in January 1915. Since then he had been almost
continuously in the field, first against the ’Ajman and then against the
Murrah. Most of the normal trade of Najd was with Syria, and the
tribes were accustomed to sell their camels to Damascene dealers the strict
blockade imposed by Ibn Sa’ud—the seizure of Ibn Fara’un’s camels bore
witness to its reality—grew more and more galling ; the Najdis grumbled,
the tribes were restless, all asked wherein lay the advantage to themselves
of their Chief’s attitude, and it was increasingly difficult for him to keep
them in hand. With regard to the Sharif, Sir Percy Cox was able to give
Ibn Sa’ud the fullest reassurance. Our treaty with the Amir had been
communicated to Mecca, and when the Sharif announced to us his intention
of proclaiming himself King of the Arabs on 5th November, we had insisted
on a formal admission that he claimed no jurisdiction over independent
rulers. The news of the coronation at Mecca had not yet reached Central
Arabia, and was not discussed. During conversation with the Chief
Political Officer at Basrah, Ibn Sa’ud made a passing remark about the Sharif’s
calling himself ‘‘ Sultan,” but his mind seemed to be set completely at rest
on hearing that his rights were safeguarded by us, and that the Sharif had
explicitly denied any design on the independence of himself or his
com peers.
19. Ibn Sa’ud having expressed to the Chief Political Officer at their meet-
. ing at Ojair his inclination to pay a brief visit to Shaikh Jabir of Kuwait before
returning home, the project was cordially encouraged as appearing eminently
expedient, and Sir Percy Cox recommended that he should be presented
with the K.C.l.E. at a Majlis which was to be held at Kuwait where the
Shaikh was to be invested with the C.S.I. When he intimated to Ibn Sa’ud
that this honour was to be accorded to him, the Chief Political Officer was
authorised to inform at the same time that his rights had been carefully
reserved in all dealings which the British Government had held with the
Sharif, and Ibn Sa’ud in his reply said that he was entirely satisfied on this
point.
20. The Majlis took place on 20th November. The Shaikh of Muhammarah
had come to Kuwait for the occasion, and many Beduin were present,
including the friendly headmen of the Shammar Aslam and Dhatir, and
Shaikhs of the Mutair. The Chief Political Officer, in presenting the
decorations, alluded to our satisfaction in feeling that the great Arab chiefs
were bent with us upon a common purpose. The Shaikh of Muhammarah
followed him with words which were vrarmly pro-British, and Ibn Sa’ud
struck the keynote of the meeting in a speech which was as spontaneous as
it was unexpected. He said that the Turks had placed themselves outside