P 3280/1916 Pt 2 'Arab Revolt - Subsidies' [‎45v] (90/156)

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Arabian chiefs, would secure the twerthrow e%#urkish domination throughout the
Arabian peninsular He also desired to form an independent Arabian Government m
the Hediaz to serve as a focus for Arabian nationalism, and which would be (ventually
recognised by the Moslems as competent to safeguard their religious prejudices m
respect of the custody of the Holy Places. -n?
Before en o, a 0r in 0, in the enterprise he satisfied himself that these aims were nwu
in conflict with the policy of the British Government, on whose assistance he would
he dependent for the provision of the war material and money he required. Like
other and even better informed individuals, at the beginning of the struggle lie under
estimated the cost of success, and in particular the unexpected protraction of the
military operations in the Hedjaz has rendered it impossible tor him to allot any
considerable portion of his subsidy for the numerous services required for the
establishment of his new Government. In addition to the upkeep or his troops m the
Hediaz, he is now required to subsidise the northern Arabs, the majority of whose
tribal leaders have provisionally afiven in their adherence, and wiio, when the time is
ripe for such action, will harry ^the Turks flanks and communications in Palestine
and Southern Syria. . . ^.
I realise that His Majesty’s Government has already incurred a relatively heavy
outlay in connection with the Hedjaz revolt, but I am confident tnat when an
impartial review can be made it will Be found that the political anu military benefits
accruing therefrom have been very cheaply acquired, and there are, in my opinion,
strong and urgent reasons, both military and political, why we cannot now afford to
refuse him the additional financial assistance he requires.
In the first place the active intervention of the northern tribes cannot fail to
cause very considerable embarrassment to the Turks in Syria, and is much to be desired
from the* point of view of our own military operations. In the second place the
adhesion of a number of Arab chieftains to the Sherif’s Government will tend to
secure that semblance of national solidarity in the Arabian peninsula which alone can
justify to the Moslem world the Sherif’s action in casting off allegiance to the Govern
ment of the Caliph. Our responsibility in the eyes of our Moslem subjects and those
of our Allies for the Sherif’s revolt makes it all the more incumbent upon us to do all
in our power to secure its success within the limits imposed by oar obligations to
France and considerations of general policy.
I have, &c.
REGINALD WINGATE.
Enclosure.
Memorandum by King Hussein.
(Translation.)
WHEN Great Britain repeatedly and plainly declared, by writing, her desire to
restore the Arab Caliphate, and when I found that the affairs of the Ottoman
Government were being handled, by the Turanians, in such a manner as to deprive
all the Moslems of the world of that happiness and welfare of which only a small
part was being enjoyed by the Moslems of Turkey, I thought that to leave things
as they were and abstain from negotiations, instead of remedying the situation in a
manner that would be pleasing to God and to the Moslems, was a crime upon which
I need not dwell.
Accordingly I entered into negotiations with Great Britain and arrived at the
desired result, which is known to all, in the form of an agreement, by the terms of
which Great Britain promised to accord us her protection in our revolt, heedless of
that the enemies of right might attribute to her an intention to do evil to the
Moslems; because we knew, under the circumstances, that Great Britain’s success
was our success, and her failure our failure. This should be the conviction of all
those who wish the good of their nation, of their brethren in religion and even of
the whole world, disregarding what false people attribute to them. It is sufficient,
as a proof of this, to allude to the establishment of our Government and its future
development, God willing, within the boundaries assigned to it, a fact that will close
the mouth of those chattering fools.
To this end a subsidy was assigned to us, the causes, object, and duration of
which were well known, and we were promised the necessary protection inside our
boundaries against any aggression, so that our Government might be enabled to
arrange, in as short a time as possible, its internal affairs, and emerge into the world