File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎348v] (705/834)

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sub-tribe, and, at the same time, for a suitable subsidy. But
it is thought that it should be possible to allow the sheikhs
of territory which is claimed by two or more of the several
recognized, or treaty, rulers, to say under which of those rulers
their tribesmen elect to serve. It would be necessary to explain
to the sheikhs that once they have made their choice, no revision
will be entertained, except, perhaps, after a stipulated number
of years.
It also appears essential that it should be made clear to the
recognized rulers that, after frontiers have been finally fixed,
it will be the duty of each ruler to defend his own boundaries,
and that tribal raids and petty disputes are purely their own
affairs with which we cannot be concerned.
No form of boundary settlement will, of course, bring
unadulterated peace to Arabia ; tribal raids will necer go out of
fashion, and the need for confining the activities of the Wahabis
and Ikhwan will ever be present. We shall, however, need to be
most guarded in our promises to assist rulers against acts of
aggression on their frontiers ; otherwise, every little tribal dis
turbance will result in a prompt demand for aeroplanes, tanks,
and other more or less suitable forms of armed assistance.
The experiment of arbitration on a large scale in territorial
disputes between important Arab rulers has yet to be tried.
It is possible that adverse decisions will receive little respect
from any of them, and they are adepts at shifting the blame for
initial acts of aggression to the other side.
H. G.
The Idrisi and Qunfudah.
Under the treaty of April 30, 1915, the Idrisi’s military
obligations towards ourselves are described as follows : “ The
Idrisi Seyyid agrees to attack and endeavour to drive the Turks
from their stations in the Yemen, and to the best of his power
to harass the Turkish troops in the direction of the Yemen
and to extend his territories at the expense of the Turks.”
The Idrisi’s activity during the first year after the conclusion
of this treaty was not remarkable. In his defence it might be
urged that we had not yet afforded him assistance of any value
as regards munitions, while he might well fear that a premature
offensive would draw upon him the combined attentions of the
Turks, the imam Yahya and the Sherif of Mecca, whose last
appearance in Asir had been as the servant of the Turks. If
that happened, our reverses at Aden and Kut did not promise
that we should be able to stand by him effectively.