File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎180r] (368/834)

increased activity of Ali round Medina, perhaps the most satis
factory An East India Company trading post. feature being the weakness confessed by Fakhri in permit
ting the demolition of the railway within twelve miles of Medina
itself. As regards Medina, the last incoming train arrived during
the second week in April, and now that Ali’s cordon has been
drawn closer round the city to the East, there is little chance of
the garrison being able to obtain such scanty supplies as formerly
reached them from the blockade-runners of Qasim. In fact Ali’s
force has intercepted more than one party of these traders, who
had been tempted by the high prices offered by the Medina com
mander to anyone who would run a cargo through. The position
of the beleaguered garrison, according to the reports of refugees,
is serious ; the men receive only a small daily ration of bread and
dates. Unless the report be true, that Fakhri has sown a large
area round Medina with wheat, the garrison can look for no
further supplv of food till the date harvest, four to five months
hence.
IBN SAUD AND HIS NEIGHBOURS.
We have received interesting notes of conversations
between Colonel Hamilton, our 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 Kuweit, and
the Emir Abdul Aziz, at Riyadh in November last. Although
developments have taken place since, these Notes contain nmch
information of political value in relation to current events. W e
give therefore the following extracts :
/. Ibn Sabah and the Ajman.
“Ibn Sand’s attitude towards the Ajman has undergone no
change. He considers it quite hopeless to arrange any terms
witlAhem, as they are born and sworn enemies of ins and are
notorious even among Arabs for treachery and disregard of al
contracts. They do not obey their sheikhs and frequency set at
non edit tribal customs of fundamental importance. Moreover
the Ajman have not abided by the terms imposed upon them by
the Government with Ibn Saud s consent and approval, as <lr.
up at Kuweit in November, 1916 As soon as Ibn ^
to gather the clans for his march upon Ibn ,S"d
nmKr all the sheikhs of the Ibn Hithlam, went off to Ibn Rashid
a d takinn Stetion upon his flank immobilb/ed a large proport,cm
of Ibn Sand’s force L \contributed to the general failure of ins
intended offensive. They have only come in now because hey
Ire hard up for provisions. Ibn S-ul cpside^ and -thniv
will convince him of the contrary, that Ibn Sabah s (ha im o
KuweTt) allowing them to enter his twritones - a^mctly
unfriendly act and is so undeistoo \ a ia • ’ ^ pj s
with 1 bn Sabah are entirely on account tribes
taxation of the Awazim (who, be says, with all the dcs