PZ 1115/1938 'Col. Dickson's visit to Riyadh and conversations with Ibn Saud.' [‎43r] (85/96)

chasm between themselves and us Arabs which wall engulf
both of us shortly if they do not cease digging” were
his words. "There still remains a small bridge over this
chasm", he continued,"but further digging will cause
this to crash, and then that will be the end of all
Arab friendship with England. Can nothing persuade
your Government to pause?"
The King then went on to relate how that the Turks once
were a great race and knew how to treat the great Arab
Princes of Arabia with consideration and honour. They
not only took their advice, but gave them great titles
and rewards. Those were the days when 'Turkey had great
men in charge of her destinies.
In these later days the Turks had failed to produce
those self same great men, and they had failed to retain
Arabia, or even the Arabs respect.
In the downward path, he went on, everywhere bad officials
had appeared, who had gone out of their way to harm
their Central Government's prestige and good name.
What was the result, Turkey crashed, weakened from
within, and entirely owing to the fault of her miserable
provincial officials; men who played for their own hand
only, and cared not what harm they did so long as they
could earn cheap promotion.
Your Government to-day, opined the King, was going much the
same way as the Turks did of old. *
Your officials in important localities were following
in the footsteps of the later day Turks, and were not
doing their duty by the Central Government.
for a 100 years.
"Shaikh Isa" , said the King,"was the Father not only
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , but of the whole of Arabia, ve
Arabs, and especially I and my house looked upon him
with the greatest affection and love - we even would
have died for him had he raised his little finger and
asked our help. What happened? He was thrust out of his
little kingdom, an old weary man of 90 years old, and
he died dishonoured and heartbroken. All for what -
to please the personal ambition of a young officer
called Major Daly; an English man of no family (sharaf)
who cared nothing for the harm he was doing to his
I snatched the opportunity to thank His Majesty for all
his hospitality and kindness to myself and my wife, and
respectfully took my leave.
The King’s last act was to have Reuters telegrams read
over to him in my presence. "I live on the wireless
news these days" he said, "for world affairs are reaching
b crisis everywhere, and I must keep touch."
I then left His Majesty's presence, and two hours later
bade farewell to Riyadh city.
/
He here instanced the deposition of Shaikh Isa of Bahrain
by Major Daly*some years ago, and said that that act
had done more to harm England in Arabia than any other
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Government, they should choose their officials better".
That was why, he continued, he asked that his Majesty’s
Government should send him specially selected officers
to visit him from time to time to hear what he ha4 to
say "min al ras illal Ras,(from my head to their head
direct)".
After some further diatribes against Major Daly and
certain other British officials who need not be mentioned,
Government.
Such things should not be allowed to happen by your