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Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.' [‎39r] (77/761)

The record is made up of 1 file (379 folios). It was created in 14 Jan 1935-12 Apr 1947. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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FILE COPY
With th-
3 ^
M-, L
r Ull ($)
LTiiis telegram is of particular secrecy And should he
retained by the authorised recipient and not passed on. ]
’ CYPHER ]
^ i
' TJAR CABINET DI3 TRIRIITT0#.
FROM : EG YPT .
FROM CAIRO TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
Sir M. Lampson
No. 508
25rd January, 1942.
Do 7.05 p.m* 25rd January, 1942«
R. 7.15 p o m 0 25rd January, 1942.
Repeated to Bagdad telegram No* 40,
Jedda telegram Not 17, U3 oa. HiCea 1
Government of India telegram No. 29,
kkkkk
MOST IMMEDIATE. M 6
SECRET . ' ^
U) ou» Qi
Foreign Office please repeat to Jerusalem as my
telegram No. 27c
i
and
Following from Minister of State,
Jedda telegram iJi? ^
Following are ray views/
, flj-LiA. CCVLfrijdf<>J*<rv*> {\A thk.
Middle East Far Council
2 .
20 an'd Bagtfac? telegrams N osT 22
tJetf
y £ '
, __As regards Saudi nrabia, I agree with His
Majesty s Minister at Jedda, that alternative (a) in parapranh
W 3 oUMoar Uolegram Wo, & to him ( Treaty of Alliance) lias P
/ little to recommend _It and ih~any case would take too long.
As oetween alternatives (b) and (.g) I favour clear cut
declaration of war. Major advantage which we seek is
publicity value in the Moslem world of Ibn Sand’s onen
association with us; .and from this point of view the
declaration of war which would be easily understood and free
from any ambiguity would surely have much greater effect than
the declaration -suggested-^in alternative (c)* Moreover, it
nas a quality of directness likely to appeal to Ibn Sand* I
do not favour the suggestion that Ibn Saud [? should] make a
declaration ol^ sympathy now and eventually declare war at some
later date* His Honour would [? I think] prevent him declaring
war when it was too obvious that we were going to be victorious.

5. I do^not consider that alternative (b) need involve
more active participation by Ibn Saud in the war than would
alternative (c). He realises the complete dependence of the
Arabs/

About this item

Content

This file, like the previous volume (IOR/L/PS/12/2087), concerns relations between the British Government and the Government of Saudi Arabia.

The file largely consists of copies of Foreign Office correspondence, mainly between His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, Sir Reader William Bullard, Hugh Stonehewer Bird, and Stanley R Jordan successively) and officials of the Foreign Office. Other prominent correspondents include the following: the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert, succeeded by Alan Charles Trott); His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis); Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]; Amir Faisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], Minister of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia; officials of the Colonial Office and the War Office.

The correspondence documents the progression of negotiations for a general settlement between the two governments, which would result in the initial prolongation of the validity of the Treaty of Jedda (the treaty signed between Britain and Ibn Saud in 1927, which initially expired in September 1934) for a period of seven years from 1936 (and for another seven years from 1943).

In addition to discussing matters relating to the proposed general settlement (e.g. the eastern and south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia, slavery regulations, arms traffic, and Saudi debts), the correspondence also documents various visits and meetings, including the following:

  • The visit of Amir Saud [Āl Sa‘ūd, Sa‘ūd bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, heir apparent of Ibn Saud] to Britain (17 June-1 July 1935), accompanied by Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia.
  • Further meetings at the Foreign Office between Fuad Bey Hamza, Hafiz Wahba (Saudi Minister in London), Sir Andrew Ryan, George William Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), and other Foreign Office officials, in July 1935, following on from meetings in September 1934.
  • Sir Andrew Ryan's meetings with Ibn Saud in Riyadh in December 1935 and in Jedda in February 1936.
  • Four interviews held between Ibn Saud, Sir Reader William Bullard and George William Rendel, in Jedda, during March 1937.

Also discussed are matters relating to the Second World War, including:

  • An exchange of letters between Ibn Saud and the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, in early 1939, which principally relate to Ibn Saud's concerns regarding his country's security in the event of the beginning of general hostilities.
  • German radio broadcasts in Jedda during the first few weeks of the Second World War and their possible effect on the Jedda population.
  • The possibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia formally joining the Allies in the Second World War.

In addition to correspondence the file includes the following: a copy of a programme for Amir Saud's visit to Britain (ff 339-348); exchanges of notes (in English and Arabic) between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Legation at Jedda, confirming the prolongation of the Treaty of Jedda, dated 1936 and 1943 respectively (ff 189-192 and ff 4-5); a sketch map showing air routes over Saudi Arabia and Iraq (f 31v).

Although the material in this file falls inside the date range of 1935-1943, the final document in the file does include an additional date stamp which is marked '12 April 1947'.

The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (379 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 380; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.' [‎39r] (77/761), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2088, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048209023.0x000050> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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