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Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎50r] (100/540)

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The record is made up of 1 file (268 folios). It was created in 18 Apr 1931-18 May 1945. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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5
12. Upon the publication of the report His Majesty’s Government issued a
Statement of Policy (Command 5513) in which they said :—
“ In the light of experience and of the arguments adduced by the com
mission they are driven to the conclusion that there is an irreconcilable
conflict between the aspirations of Arabs and Jews in Palestine, that these
aspirations cannot be satisfied under the terms of the present mandate, and
that a scheme of partition on the general lines recommended by the commis
sion represents the best and most hopeful solution of the deadlock. His
Majesty’s Government propose to advise His Majesty accordingly.”
While the form of a scheme of partition was being worked out His Majesty's
Government proposed, the statement continued, that steps should be taken to
prohibit any land transactions which might prejudice such a scheme, and that a
total Jewish immigration of 8,000 persons should be permitted for the ensuing
eight months, provided that the economic absorptive capacity of the country was
not exceeded. The statement concluded by enumerating the advantages which the
solution offered both to Arabs and to Jews.
13. The Palestine question was debated in Parliament on the 20th and the
21st July, and a resolution was adopted to the effect that, while His Majesty’s
Government in the United Kingdom would continue to recommend to the Council
of the League and to the Permanent Mandates Commission the endorsement of
the general principle of partition, any scheme of partition which might be worked
out on the basis of the Royal Commission’s report would have to be submitted to
Parliament before it could be finally adopted.
14. At a public meeting on the 16th September the Council of the League
of Nations adopted a resolution which had been drawn up by the Permanent
Mandates Commission. In this resolution which took account, among other points,
of the intention expressed by the United Kingdom Government to pursue the
study of the problem of the status of Palestine with special reference to a solution
involving partition of the territory, the Council agreed to this study being under
taken and the steps it involved adopted, and, while pointing out that the majidate
of the 24th July, 1922, remained in force, deferred consideration of the substance
of the question until the Council should be in a position to deal with it as a whole,
and in the meantime entirely reserved its opinion and its decision.
15. On the 18th November military courts were established by Defence
Regulations under the Palestine (Defence) Order in Council A regulation issued by the sovereign of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Privy Council. , 1937.
16. On the 23rd December the Secretary of State for the Colonies addressed
to the High Commissioner for Palestine a despatch embodying the decision of
His Majesty’s Government on the next step to be taken. As this decision, however,
was not published, or communicated to the Saudi Government until the 4th
January, 1938, it seems better to leave this point for treatment next year, though
it may be mentioned that the despatch defined the attitude of His Majesty’s
Government towards the partition proposal of the Royal Commission, and stated
the terms of reference of the technical commission which was to be sent to
Palestine to make further investigations on the subject.
17. The advice given by Ibn Saud to the Arab Higher Committee (para
graph 19a of 1936), to co-operate with the Royal Commission, was given on the
ground that he was ‘ ‘ confident in the good faith of the British Government and
their intention to treat the Arabs justly.” At the same time he was expressing
to His Majesty’s Government his regret that they had not thought fit to suspend
immigration entirely during the labours of the commission, and was asking for
clemency for two Arabs who had been condemned to death by military courts; but
when the Mufti of Palestine visited Mecca for the pilgrimage and appealed for
help Ibn Saud promised to use his influence in legitimate ways, but urged him
to assist in the maintenance of order and to await the report of the Royal
Commission. Meanwhile, he was preparing suggestions and recommendations
for the solution of the Palestine problem. These were contained in a document
dated the 6th February, which was communicated to His Majesty’s Government
through the Saudi Minister in London. The document had been prepared, the
Minister stated, by Ibn Saud himself, without help or advice from representatives
of the Palestine Arabs or from any other source. The King had originally
[17650] c * &

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Content

This file contains copies of annual reports regarding the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia) during the years 1930-1938 and 1943-1944.

The reports were produced by the British Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard) and sent to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (and in the case of these copies, forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India), with the exception of the reports for 1943 and 1944, which appear to have been produced and sent by His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires at Jedda, Stanley R Jordan.

The reports covering 1930-1938 discuss the following subjects: foreign relations; internal affairs; financial, economic and commercial affairs; military organisation; aviation; legislation; press; education; the pilgrimage; slavery and the slave trade; naval matters. The reports for 1943 and 1944 are rather less substantial. The 1943 report discusses Arab affairs, Saudi relations with foreign powers, finance, supplies, and the pilgrimage, whilst the 1944 report covers these subjects in addition to the following: the activities of the United States in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East Supply Centre, and the Saudi royal family.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (268 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 269; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-12 and ff 45-268; these numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎50r] (100/540), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2085, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036362870.0x000065> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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