File 2182/1913 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Policy towards Bin Saud (Capt. Shakespear's Mission)' [‎74r] (145/426)

Enclosure No, 2 , Serial No. 4.
Translation of a letter to Amir Abdul Aziz bin Abdur Rahman Al Faisal
“ Bin Saud,” dated the 29th Muharram 1333, corresponding to 17th
December 1914.
After compliments —Your honoured letter of 17th Muharram 1333 has
reached me in a fortunate hour here at Kurna, by the hand of our friend Abdul
Latif ibn Mandil. I was very glad to get it and also to receive your expression
of satisfaction at learning of our occupation of Basrah and the Shatt-al-Arab,
and of the contentment of the inhabitants.
Since then our troops have occupied Kurna. The place is conveniently
situated for defence, and up to a certain point the Turks fought their guns well,
but ultimately they gave up the fight, and nearly 1,200 of them were made
prisoners, and altogether upwards of 20 guns have so far been captured from
them.
It is not hidden from you that the British Government had no wish to go
to war with Turkey, but her hostile actions, resulting from the intrigues and
incitement of Germany, were so intolerable that we had no alternative. But
as we have explained to the people of Basrah and Kurna, it is the Government
of Turkey only with which we are at war, and we have no object against the
people of the country and the Arabs. On the contrary we wish to be their j
friends and supporters and hope that under the British flag they will enjoy the
utmost freedom and justice both in regard to their religion and their secular
affairs. Especially in regard to religious matters you need be under no sort of
apprehension. It is not hidden from you that the British Government has more
Muhammadan subjects than any other Government, and you will have
seen from the Proclamation, of which I enclose a printed copy, that we have
expressly undertaken to respect and preserve the holy places of pilgrimage
both in the Hejaz and Mesopotamia.
As for yourself I hope that as the result of what has happened your
affairs will prosper more than before, because your territory will become free
from that annoyance and interference on the part of the Turks from which
you have suffered hitherto.
As regards your friend Saiyyid Talib, I met his esteemed father at Basrah
and told him what was in my mind regarding his son, and it was to this
effect. ITp to the declaration of war he did not cease to make claims to us
which were not possible of acceptance, and did not agree to the favourable
terms offered to him ; yet the British Government is forgiving, and though
Saiyyid Talib has been ill-advised and misled yet neither the Government nor I,
its representative, have any ill-will against Saiyyid Talib. But what I thought
was necessary in his case was that, for reasons which you will understand, it
would be better that he should not return to Basrah for a time until the affairs
and the inhabitants of the town had settled down. A little later I shall be
quite ready to see him and talk over his affairs with him, and if then his
attitude is satisfactory and he submits to the wishes of the Government, I
may be able to recommend his being allowed to return to Basrah on suitable
terms.
I hope by the time this reaches you our friend Captain Shakespear will
be with you, and he will inform me of what passes between you, and you may
be sure that they will be regarded by myself and the British Government with
all sympathy.
In the meanwhile, inshallah, we shall not fail to show consideration to
your friends and dependents such as Ibn Mandil in Basrah and Zubair.
Enclosure No. 3, Serial No. 4 .
Translation of a letter from Abdul Aziz bin Saud, dated the 22nd Muharram
1333, corresponding to the 10th December 1914.
After compliments.' —I have already sent you a letter informing you that
I am on my way to this side and that I am awaiting Captain Shakespear’s