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slaves. It is doubtful whether any such undertaking was given. If it was it
almost certainly referred to Royal slaves as defined by the King himself, viz., his
personal servants and soldiers. Sir Andrew Ryan, after going carefully into
Bakhit’s history, could not admit that Bakhit was a Royal slave in this sense,
though he did not question the assurance that he was Royal property. After
protracted but unsuccessful efforts to obtain the consent of the Saudi Government
to the man’s being repatriated in the usual way, he referred the case to His
Majesty’s Government. They instructed him to admit no understanding whatso
ever about Royal slaves and to embark Bakhit in H.M.S. Penzance, which
happened to be visiting Jedda at the time. The Saudi Government were informed
of the intended embarkation and objected violently, but it was effected on the
29th January without interference on the part of the local authorities.
60. It had already been arranged that Sir Andrew Ryan should visit
Jerusalem to discuss Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan affairs, and he was to leave Jedda on the
4th February. In the circumstances of the Bakhit affair, he altered his plans to
the extent of leaving in the sloop on the 2nd February. On his arrival at
Jerusalem he received instructions to proceed direct to London after finishing
his business. This was the result of a memorandum communicated by the Saudi
Government to the Foreign Office on the 8th February through the Hejazi
Legation in London. It stated various grievances against Sir Andrew Ryan,
culminating in a complaint of his action in the Bakhit affair, and it expressed
the view that his continuing to act as intermediary between the two Governments
could only aggravate their differences. It was not difficult to dispose of the
accusations, old and new, against Sir Andrew Ryan. The Secretary of State
returned a strong reply to the Saudi Legation on the 21st March, and the incident
was liquidated to the satisfaction of His Majesty’s Government in the first half
of April.
61. His Majesty’s Government awaited the termination of this affair before
replying to the Saudi Government’s proposal that the Amir Feisal’s mission
should visit London. They now intimated their readiness to receive the mission
as their official guests. The mission arrived in London on the 7th May, and was
handsomely entertained until the 14th, when the official visit ended, although the
mission stayed on privately for another two days. It was received by His Majesty
the King on the 9th May, and afterwards by the Secretary of State, who also gave
an official dinner on behalf of His Majesty’s Government on the 10th May. As
stated elsewhere, the Amir left all business in the hands of Fuad Bey, except for
attending a first meeting of a formal nature on the 9th May. This was followed
by further business meetings that afternoon and on the 13th May, and by less
official conversations between Fuad Bey and the head of the Eastern Department.
62. The discussions with Fuad Bey were most amicable though not
conclusive, except on one point. The following is a list of the subjects discussed,
with brief indications of what ensued later in the year : —
(a) General Relations between the Two Countnes. —The mission was assured
in emphatic terms of the friendly dispositions of His Majesty’s Government
towards Ibn Saud and his Government.
(b) Economic Questions and the possibility of a British Lwm.—Fuad Bey
emphasised the economic difficulties of the Saudi Government and their urgent
need of money. He asked for a loan of £500,000 gold. He was told
sympathetically how impossible it would be for His Majesty’s Government to
make a loan themselves to Saudi Arabia. He was put into touch with the Bank
o England, and learnt there that prospects in the City were equally unpropitious.
A suggestion emerged that the Saudi Government might usefully employ a bank
m England as an advisory correspondent, and the Imperial Bank of Persia was
suggested. Fuad Bey did not pursue the matter with the latter bank at the time
but made further enquiries m Jedda later, with the result that the Legation
informed the Saudi Government on the 29th December of the conditions on which
the Imperial Bank would be prepared to act.
(<f) Harameyn Wakfs. 'Fuad Bey raised the question of what steps the
Saudi Government could take to secure for the Holy Places the benefit of religious
foundations created in their favour in countries under British rule or influence.
It was pursued with special reference to Wakfs in Palestine, and a particular
Wakt created under the will of an Indian who had died in Java,