'Najd-Transjordan Boundary' [‎41r] (86/358)

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direct relations between 'Iraq and Majd, and in at least
one instan ce, name^A that of the camels looted from the
Dhaiir in June last, which it now appears that Ibn Saud has
been xor some months ready and anxious to return, consider-
-able delay and confusion has resulted. It is essential
that direct relations should now be re-established, and I
hope that I may receive your telegraphic authority to
communicate to Ibn Saud through His Britannic Majesty’s /*“"
representative at Jiddah the ratification of the Balira
Agreement, as soon as it has been effected, and in future
to correspond direct with Ibn Saud, by the most expeditious
means at my disposal, in all matters of detail affecting
his relations with the ’Iraq Government and the steps to be
taken to implement the agreements in force between the
Governments of Najd and. Iraq. The correspondence will
usually pass through His Britannic Majesty’s Consul at
Jiddah or the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain or Kuwait, accord-
-ing to the whereabouts of Ibn Baud, and copies of corres-
-pondence will be sent to the Resident at Bushire and to
the Colonial Office for information. As I have stated
above, I cannot discover that it was ever the intention of
His Majesty’s Government that direct correspondence bwtween
’Iraq and Najd should cease, but it has ceased for so long
that it appears necessary that Ibn Saud should be informed
of your approval to its resumption. I request therefore
that, should you approve my proposal, you will be good
enough to intimate your approval to Ibn Baud as well as to
myself as early as possible.
5. This step will not, however, in my opinion, be
enough to secure a satisfactory solution of frontier tribal
difficulties. In the case of both Persia and Syria it
was found that, when dealing with minor frontier troubles,
correspondence between the central Governments was too
dilatory a method to secure satisfactory results, and a
system
\