File 2182/1913 Pt 9 'Arabia Policy towards Bin Saud' [‎160r] (317/406)

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S vlul Saud made a passing remark about the Sharif’s calling himself
ri ’ bU + t hlS 1 seemed t( J set completely at rest on hearing that his
rights were safeguarded by us and that the Sharif had explicitly denied any
design on the independence of himself or his compeers. ^
, I bl1 faud having expressed to the Chief Political Officer at their meeting
at Ojair his inclination to pay a brief visit to Shaikh Jabir of Kuwait before
exDedTen^ ^nTsKP^^P Was cordiall y encouraged as appearing eminently
tb^ K P T P d + Per -7 Cox recommended that he should be presented with
tlie iv.L.l.K., at a majlis which was to be held at Kuwait where the Shaikh
was to be invested with the C.S.I. When he intimated to Ibn Saud that this
X-m Tt ° be aC T ded i 0 tbe ? llief Political Cfficer was authorised to
inform at the same time that his rights had been carefully reserved in all
dealings which the British Government had held with the “Sharif and Ibn
Saud m his reply said that he was entirely satisfied on this point.
The majlis took place on November 20th. The Shaikh of Muhammerah
frXrll 0 X\ ait for „ t be occasion and many Beduin were present, including
Mf 1 /«X d Tb lie rX n T? f i- t . be ?bamm a r Aslam, and Dhafir, and Shaikhs of the
Mutan. The Chief Political Officer, m presenting the decorations, alluded
to our satisfaction m feeling that the great Arab chiefs were bent with us
upon a common purpose The Shaikh of Muhammerah followed him with
words which were warmly pro-British, and Ibn Saud struck the key-note of
the meeting m a speech which was as spontaneous as it was unexpected. He
said that the Turks had placed themselves outside the pale of Islam by the
iniquities which they had committed on other Moslems. He contrasted their
pohcy with that of Great Britain pointing out that the Turks had sought to
weaken the Arabs by fomenting their differences, whereas the British Govern
ment encouraged them to unite in their own interest. He praised the action of
the Sharif and urged the obligation of all true Arabs to co-operate with him
m forwarding the Arab cause. < When he had brought his speech to an eloquent
‘twTtW X Cllle / S ’ -^ uwal > Muhammerah and Ibn Saud, swore together
that they would work with us for the achievement of a common end.
-p , This scene made a deep impression on the local notables and on the
Beduin Shaikhs present, who will no doubt carry the tale far and wide.
urmg the receptions a,t Kuwait, Ibn Saud showed in all his utterances how
ciearlj he had grasped the principle whch guides our relations with Arabia.
±ie quoted as an example of our benevolent policy towards the Arab cause the
ill even P romote a reconciliation between himself and
\ rn a ^ hld , lf the latter would abandon his attitude of hostility. The arrival
of Ibn 1 ara un s < 00 camels, each branded with the wasm of that well-known
■ dealer, gave a dramatic completeness to the Kuwait gathering.
Prom Kuwait Ibn Saud went to Muhammerah as the guest of Shaikh
Khazai who co-operated most heartily in the endeavour to make Ibn Sand’s
visit profitable tu him. The two chiefs arrived at Basrah on the evening of
November 26. Early next morning the Chief Political Officer accompanied
by two chief military representatives of the Army Commandfer present in
Basrah went on board the Shaikh’s launch and presented Ibn Saud with a sword
ot honour and message of welcome from the Army Commander. The day was
spent m exhibiting to him the Base Camps and organisation and the latest
machinery of warfare including the aircraft in which he took an eager interest.
fXA Ib ™ 1 ^ alah an d Humud al Suwait, Shaikhs of the Shammar Aslam
sX; T X P™ sent ’ wbile Sbaikh Ibrahim of Zubair and several
IbTsaud on thelunoh 8668 ^ Baghdad llad an audience
- Dllrbc ? r ancl I bn Sand’s visit to Basrah have placed us in a
+in gU r+f • tr ? ng Three powerful chiefs have made public protesta
tion of their friendship with each other and their confidence in the British
Government. A telegram received from the Sharif, congratulating them upon
their zeal m the Arab cause and regretting that he had not had time to send a
representative to Kuwait, confirmed the identity of his aims with their own,
•and m a further message he apologised for any deficiencies in his previous
letters on the ground that while he was in the throhs of war he might un
intentionally fall short as a correspondent. The dream of Arab unity which
enguged the imagination of the Liberals of Damascus during the year before
the war, has been brought nearer fulfilment than dreams are wont to come,
but the role of presiding genius has been recast. Instead of the brilliant,
unscrupulous Saiyid Talib, gyrating in the blast of his own ambition, the
chiefs of Eastern and Western Arabia have united at the instance of the British
Government.
Besides this knitting together of i\rab leaders, the meeting at Kuwait has
produced certain immediate results. In the first place the extent and nature
of Ibn Sand’s share in future hostilities with Ibn Pashid, if such should occur,
was agreed upon. ^ He undertook to maintain 4,000 men under arms: if
Ibn Eashid moved in force towards the Iraq he would move up parallel with
him towards Zubair and join the friendly tribes and a contingent from Kuwait.
He informed the friendly Shaikhs that he would support them if Ibn Eashid
threatened to attack them in strength. If, however, Ibn Eashid should re-