'Najd-Transjordan Boundary' [‎48r] (100/358)

to+v, M i n ^ tes a Conference held at the Colonial Office on the
12th of March, 1926, to discues matters arising out of Sir Gilher'
Clayton’s report on his Mission to Ihn Saud.
Sir J. Shuckburgh, K.C.M.Q., C ,B.
(in the Chair)
Mr. G.L.M. Clauson, O.B.E.
Mr. J.H.Hall, D.S.O., M.C.
Mr. S. Robinson
The Hon. T. Spring Bice, C.M.G.
Mr. V.A.L. Mallet
Mr. L.D. Wakely, C.B.
Group Capt. C.S. Burnett,
C. B.IS., D.S.O.
Squadron Leader W.B. Farrington,
D. S.O.
) Colonial
)
) Office.
Foreign Office.
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. ,
iir
Ministry.
The following points were discussed
1 • The control of future reaLtiions with Ibn Saud and Channel
of Communication . Sir J. Shuckourgh pointed out that hitherto
the Foreign Office had dealt with the Hejaz and the Colonial
Office with Hejd. He drew attention to the recommendation
made by the Mas ter ton-Smith Committee that the channel of
communication between His Majesty’s Government and the Hejaz
Government should be the Foreign Office but that, in all
questions affecting purely Arab politics, the Colonial Office
should be regarded as the responsible British authority. He
said that he had referred the question of the control of future
relations with Ibn Saud to the Secretary of State and that
Mr. Aaery’s views were as follows
(a) Apart from questions off detail arising out of the
Bahra Agreement with regard to which the High Commissioner for
Iraq had already been authorised to deal direct with Ibn Saud
through the British Agent atlJeddah, all communications with
Ibn Saud should pass through the Foreign Office and H.M. Consul
at Jeddah.
(b) the final responsibility for all questions affecting
Arabian politics whether relating to the Hejaz of Hejd should
rest with^the Colonial Office.
(c) \ the responsibility for local and consular
questions concerning the Hejaz, including the pilgrimage should
rest with^the Foreign Office. Sir J. Shuckburgh addedthat, in
his opinion, the Foreign Office should also beprimarily
responsible in all matters concerning Ibn Saud's relations with
Foreign Powers. He explained that these proposals would, in
practice, very largely mean the continuance of the present
arrangements, except that the channel of communication via
Bushire would be eliminated; although this channel could always
be revived, either in addition to or instead of the Jeddah
channel, in the case of necessity. Mr. Spring Rice said that
he agreed generally with the proposals but would have to fefer
them to higher authority. Questions of Arabian policy would
as hitherto be dealt\ with by consultation between the Foreign
Office and the Colonial Office, but the Foreign Office would xxxi
prefer not to lay down anything definite until the future
relations