[Un-numbered file] 'Diary of Colonel Hamilton's Visit to Nejd 1918' [‎84r] (167/206)

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regard and equip him as a British Division. It is
obvious that taking a more active part means atta^
-ing the Sharamar and endeavouring to capture Hail.
It would he suicidal to make the attempt without
adequate means in i^oney, supplies, armed forces, and
war material. There cannot he,he went on saying,
the least douht that hut for his attitude and his
keeping, in .check, not only his own tribes hut that
of Ihn Kashid alone made it possible for the
Shereef to act with any freedom against Turks now*
Bin Saud is not in least avaricious:in fact
his fault lies in the other direction i,e.in ex
cess of generosity. But he must have more money
to hold his tribes together. Turki at Boraidah
had altogether run out of provisions such as ricej
etc. and that was one reason why he had to leave
and come away to Kiadh. The monthly cost of up
keep of 4,000 men at Boraidah would not he less
than ^ 56,000 or £.9,400/- at the rate of ^ 14
per man per month - ^ 6 5 £.1 (the rate in
Aneyzah was * £ 1). I myself think that
£. 10,000 per mensem and another 3,000 rifles with
ammunition and some light guns would he suffi
cient to maintain the present somwwhat inactive
plan. The cost of large operations would have to
he worked out by some other method. The Shereefs
men are paid at £6 p.ra. or $ 36 p.m. Bin Saud
would prefer the system of tribal allowances. If
major operations are undertaken v/ho are the
enemy and what is their strength ? They are
Shammar and Ajman. The Ajman would have to he
eliminated first,either by our making a special
arrangement with them (e.g. to give hostages
from every main clan to remain peace fully ka in
Zuhair and Koweit) or by attacking them all
round and them taking on the Shammar. Any
attack upon Hail would bring all section togethe:
to defend place. They are xk a strong tribe,
1 ' - ' ii iuui. .x.w . u -. ..i ....... 1 'tvt *' -'n 1