File 2182/1913 Pt 8 'Arabia – Policy towards Bin Saud' [‎439r] (463/602)

mmm
From Political, Baghdad, 1th September 1918.
{Repeated to Foreign and Cairo.)
(Received 8th September, 2 p.m.)
(R.) 7118. 7th. On receipt of Secretary of State for India two
telegrams of 2nd August, Phil by wrote under date 18th August as follows
r m ^
j Prv\!
h 1,
1. Aftei careful consideration have decided to defer conciliatory
message until His Majesty’s Government have considered my report of
25th June and subsequent correspondence. Delivery of such" message if
followed by His Majesty’s Government’s summary decision that Khurma falls
outside sphere in which intervention by Ibn Sand warranted would but
create suspicion in his mind regarding our impartiality. Please await my
letter up which deals exhaustively with case. Request that I may then
receive definite orders regarding delivery and exact form of message.
Meanwhile situation continues steady as far as I bn Sand concerned owing
to His Majesty's Government’s original message, and I have found him
extremely accommodating. For this reason consider it impolitic to disturb
his tranquillity until His Majesty’s Government have had full opportunity to
consider case in all bearings.
“ 2. Venture to think His Majesty’s Government will revise opinion based
on distance of Khurma from Taif. As already pointed out Khurma is only
10 miles east boundary^hiqum and Subai tribes, namely, Shaib Shaba.
Question at issue therefore is jurisdiction over w'estern section Subai tribe
whose capital is Khurma and whose eastern boundary is Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Naim 120
miles east of Khurma. Adjudication of Khurma to Sherif therefore
necessarily implies extending boundary of Hedjaz to line about 200 miles or
more east of Taif. This brings up question of Ataiba highlands extending
another 100 miles eastwards of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Naim, and as Sherif claims
jurisdiction over Ataiba, the boundary of Najd falls back very nearly to line
Tuwaiq.
“ I earnestly represent—
“ (1) that matter is far more complicated than is supposed and has
two sides ;
“(2) that Ibn Sand cannot abandon Khurma to its fate without risking
widespread. disturbance of Najd tribes, whose first act in any
case would be to attack Sherif with help of southern tribes ;
and
“ (3) that in any case Khurma will never submit to Sherifian attacks,
while every unsuccessful attempt of Sherif makes the feeling
of central Arabia increasingly unfavourable to us. According to
my information considerable numbers of Najd troops formerly
serving Sherif’s forces have come away owing to Sherif’s attitude
of hostility to Najd and recently) Ataiba Sheikhs as
significant;
“ (4) have never ceased to make clear to Ibn Sand that owing to
active participation in war and general political consideration,
His Majesty’s Government will not suffer any prejudice to Sherif’s
interests. At same time have made terms clear that His Majesty’s
Government will without fail protect Ibn Saud’s legitimate
interests. He asks for no more than that, and as already
frequently reported, is ready to submit all disputed matters to
British Government on above basis. At same time he is deter
mined to surrender none of his legitimate claims to aggression
by Sherif. Venture to submit that no exception can be taken
to above attitude, and that he has proved in various ways LFFF
in his letter to Sherif sincerity of his desire for peaceful
solution.”
i j *
7 “
(ovM a. eC,