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Coll 6/12 'Railways: Hejaz Railway: Reconditioning of.' [‎59r] (117/1033)

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The record is made up of 1 file (515 folios). It was created in 12 Jun 1931-10 Jan 1939. 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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COPY
THANS- J OIU)AN ,
S:;,CRaT .
kLFiP. hcii; NO.^c/sg/as .
HIGH GOMMISSlOIBIi POE TRANS-JO ID AN,
Sir,
I have the honour to refer to your Secret despatch
n
of the 14th April, 1938, and my Secret telegram No.7 of the
4th May, 1938, regarding a suggestion that His Majesty’s
Government should contribute towards the reconstruction oi
the Saudi Arabian section of the Hejaz Railway.
2. The arguments in favour of such a contribution are
based upon political expediency and they are so fully set out
in the first two enclosures to the despatch referred to
above that it would be a work of supererogation for me to
restate them. I desire, merely, to associate myself with
them, whether or not the projected restoration of the railway
can be regarded as justifiable on economic grounds, and even
though there is some risk that it may never materialize.
As regards this latter point I would express my agreement with
paragraphs 3 and 4 of Mr. Downie*s letter No.79086/38 of the
11th April, 1938, which formed the third enclosure to the
despatch quoted above.
3. That His Majesty's Government should retain the
good will of Ibn Saud is obviously of the greatest
importance to Palestine and Trans-Jordan and it is from this
restricted angle that I approach the present proposal. I
would add, speaking again from the same angle, that the
policy followed hitherto by Ibn Saud has been helpful as
contrasted with that of other neighbouring "Arab” States.
Though
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
W.G.A. QHMSBY GORE, P.C., M.P. ,
HIS MAJESTY^' PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR THE COLONIES.

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Content

This volume largely consists of copies of Colonial Office and Foreign Office and correspondence. The correspondence concerns the possibility of the Hejaz railway being reconditioned and extended. A large part of the correspondence discusses the issue of ownership regarding the Hejaz railway. Much of the correspondence documents attempts by the British to dismiss claims that the railway had been legally recognised as a waqf during Ottoman rule. Matters discussed in relation to the railway include the following:

  • The history of the Hejaz railway.
  • Details of the proceedings of the Muslim Conference in Jerusalem in 1931, and of its resolutions regarding the Hejaz railway (not formally recognised by the British), in which it is argued that the line is a waqf.
  • Reports that the Saudi Government is prepared to put aside the question of ownership in order to discuss with the British and French the restitution of the railway.
  • Details of a Hejaz railway conference between the British, French, and Saudi governments, held at Haifa in October 1935.
  • The issue of whether the British Government should contribute towards the reconstruction of the Saudi Arabian section of the railway.

Correspondents include the following: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard); His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires, Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert, succeeded by Alan Charles Trott); His Majesty's Consul at Damascus (Edwyn Cecil Hole, succeeded by Gilbert Mackereth); the High Commissioner for Palestine 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 (Arthur Grenfell Wauchope); the Secretary of State for the Colonies; His Majesty's Ambassador in Paris (Eric Phipps); the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; various officials of the Colonial Office and Foreign Office.

In addition to correspondence, the file includes the following items:

  • A copy of a memorandum by the British Consul at Damascus on the history of the Hejaz railway and its management by Compagnie Damas-Hama et Prolongments (DHP).
  • A copy of an extract from the proceedings of the aforementioned Muslim Conference.
  • A copy of the minutes and two copies (one in English and one in French) of the resolutions of the Hejaz railway conference.

As well as the aforementioned resolutions, the file contains a number of letters written in French. The Arabic material consists of a short passage taken from correspondence that is translated elsewhere in the file.

The file includes two dividers, which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (515 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 inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 516; 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 2-515; these numbers are also written in pencil and are circled, but are crossed through.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 6/12 'Railways: Hejaz Railway: Reconditioning of.' [‎59r] (117/1033), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2078, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038044256.0x000078> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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