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of the administration of his spiritual homeland, especially that part of it for
which the Minister of Finance is responsible. He has become a little doubtful
even of the King s ability to control the situation, though his doubts are those
of a still fervent, if sorrowing, admirer. The chief reason, however, for the
smallness of his political role in 1932 was physical remoteness. He started on his
great journey across the Rub-al-Khali on the 6th January, got back to Mecca on
the 5th April, and left very shortly after for England, where he spent the summed***
and autumn, not returning to the Hejaz until December. His journey was a very
great exploit, valuable as scientific exploration, and most remarkable as a feat
of endurance. It may be said of Mr. Philby that, after many wanderings in and
on the fringes of civilisation, he found liimself in the “ Empty Quarter ” of
Arabia. It is interesting to note that the permission given him to undertake the
journey was conditional on certain undertakings. These secured to the Saudi
Government exclusive rights in all information obtained by him, all maps and
plans, and all finds, none of which were to be published or disposed of without
their authority. It was also laid down that the British Government should have
no right to claim anything in consequence of discoveries made by Mr. Philby,
and that any territory discovered should belong to Ibn Saud. He and the King’s
servants were to place His Majesty’s “flags of victory” in all the high places
they passed. No international complications have ensued.
APPENDIX.
Supplement to the Chronological List of Treaties and similar Instruments
concluded by Ibn Saud, given in Appendix I to the Annual Report for
1931.
[Hie Items marked with an Asterisk are Amended Versions of the Previous
Entries. ]
cr ^VC ~treaty of friendship and “ Bon-voisinage ” with Iraq
feigned at Mecca Replaced the similar treaty which had been initialled at
Bagdad on the 9th March, 1930, but had not been completed. Ratifications of
tins and of -\os, 23 and 24 were exchanged at Mecca on the 10th May 1932
. A 27 -/!m m ^ r -Treaty of Friendship with France. ’ Signed at
tWMth ? atl C 1 Q t qo nS q 0f thm and the following, No. 28, exchanged at Jidda on
/^ 24t i h J fi!’ A Textsof 110111 Published in Mecca and in the French Jmmal
(Jjficiel on the 12th August, 1932.
*28. November 10, 1931.—Convention of Friendship and “Bon-voisinage”
with France, acting on behalf of Syria and the Lebanon (see No. 27).
29 Decemfor 1931.--Treaty of “Bon-voisinage,” Friendship and
Extradition with the Yemen. Signed at Abu Arish. Understood to have been
ratified by an exchange of telegrams, viz., Ibn Saud to the Imam Yahya of the
ar [d the Imam to Ibn Saud of the 23rd January 1932
Published m Mecca on the 26th February, 1932, but not, it is said, in Sana.
30. September to December 1931.—Money Order Agreement with India
Concluded between the respective Postal Administrations. Period indicated
Jedda dUnng WhlCh ^ C ° pieS PaSS6d throu £ h His Majesty’s Legation in
luter^tfoS nLlth 2 ^ 881011 t0 ^ ^ C ° nVenti0n ° f 1907 Creati “g “
32. lebruary 10, 1932.—Treaty of Friendship with Italy. Signed at Jeddo
texts of this and the following, No. 33, were communicated by the Italian
Embassy to the Foreign Office on the 5th April, 1932. Ratifications exchanged
at Rome on the 22nd April, 1932. ®
(see No. ^ 1932 - Commercial T ^aty with Italy. Signed at Jedda
34. April 1932.—Accession to the International Agreement of 1928 for the
Renunciation of War, the so-called “ Kellogg Pact.”