Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎205v] (411/540)

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question back on to diplomatic ground. In conversations at the beginning o
September Fuad Bey sought to engage Mr. Hope Gill in a discussion of
“ additional principles” to be laid down for the future guidance of representa-
tives on the frontier. In a note of the 10th September, conveying a gmc g m g
assent to the finding of His Majesty’s Government based on Mr MacDonne 1 s
investigation (see paragraph 26), the Minister for Foreign Affairs repeated
officially questions which Fuad Bey had already put in a personal letter to
Sir A. Ryan as to the procedure to be followed in regard to raids subsequent to
the 1st August, 1930, and the measures to be taken to prevent future raiding.
The note suggested that the deplorable situation created by the finding ot 1 Lis
Majesty’s Government could only be remedied by compensation for past
violations; the conclusion of agreements between Hejaz-Nejd and 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 ,
similar to those between Hejaz-Nejd and Iraq; and “ the removal of those causes
of friction on the 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 frontier which were causes of friction on tne
Iraq frontier ”—a hit apparently at Captain Glubb.
21. The situation as a whole was reviewed, with special reference to the
Hejazi note just cited, at an inter-departmental meeting at the Foreign Office on
the 23rd September, at which Sir A. Ryan, Colonel Cox and Captain Hlubb weie
present. As a result of this, His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires m Jedda was
furnished with the material for a reply to the Hejazi Government, which he sent
to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 7th November. His Majesty s Govern
ment pointed out that the procedure for dealing with raids subsequent to the
1st August, 1930, had already been threshed out, and made it plain that they
contemplated a resumption of the meetings between Captain Glubb and Ibn Zeid.
In replying to the enquiry of the Hejazi Government regarding measures to
prevent'further raids, they restated their frequently expressed opinion that the
object in view could only be achieved by the whole-hearted co-opeiation of the
local authorities on the frontier, a view confirmed by the diminution in i aiding
since such co-operation had been instituted. They urged the importance of
seeking by every means to extend its scope and usefulness, and asked that
instructions should be given to Ibn Zeid similar to those which were being given
in this sense to Captain Glubb. They preferred, in view of the Amir Abdullah s
reluctance to enter into any sort of direct relations with Ibn Saud, to make no
reference to the suggestion'that agreements similar to those with Iraq should be
concluded between Hejaz-Nejd and 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 . They ignored also the covert
request in the Hejazi note for Captain Glubb s removal.
22. The instructions on which Mr. Hope Gill based his note of the
7th November to the Hejazi Government crossed a despatch from him seeking
guidance as to his future attitude, having regard to his conversations with
Fuad Bey Hamza and the pessimistic conclusion of Captain Glubb s report on
his meeting with Ibn Zeid in August. This gave His Majesty’s Government an
opportunity of reaffirming, in a despatch of the 27th November, their view that
all the questions at issue should be left, as far as possible, at any rate in the first
instance, for local discussion between the representatives on the frontier. I hey
were reluctant to be drawn into further diplomatic negotiations legardmg the
details of future frontier procedure and co-operation. The Legation was
informed that, if the Hejazi Government insisted on pursuing such questions at
Jedda, they should be treated, as far as possible, as minor matters concerning the
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 authorities; that they, the Hejazi Government, should be requested
to state their case in writing; that any written statement obtained should be
referred to the High Commissioner for his observations, and that his views should
form the basis of a reply to the Hejazi Government, subject to the normal
discretionary right of His Majesty’s representative in Jedda to seek instructions
from home on any point which he might think it necessary to submit for
consideration by His Majesty's Government. These instructions reached the
Legation about the time of Sir A. Ryan’s return from leave, in December. At
the 5 end of the year he was awaiting an opportunity of acting on them in the
course of further conversations with Fuad Bey Hamza.
r
23. It would overload this already lengthy section to describe in detail the
various side issues raised in the correspondence waged during the year. A
question arose regarding the Hejazi practice of retaining, as a sort of commis
sion or charge for services rendered, a portion of any loot recovered from raiders