File 53/1915 Pt 5 'German War: Turkey; Arab Kingdom; the Petrograd negotiations' [‎144r] (292/436)

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l^renchmen who liave died sid<i hy side lighting for the Cause of Right and
Liberty.
In this great cause Arabia is now associated and God grant that the
result of our mutual efforts and co-operation will bind us in a lasting
friendship to the mutual welfare and happiness of us all!
We are greatly pleased to hear of the action you are taking to win all
the Arabs over to our joint cause and to dissuade them from giving any
assistance to our enemies, and we leave it to your discretion to seize the
most favourable moment for further and more decided measures.
You will doubtless inform us by the bearer of this letter of any manner
in which we can assist you and your requests will always receive our
immediate consideration.
You will have heard how El Saved Ahmed el Sherif el Senussi has been
beguiled by evil advice into hostile action, and it will be a great grief to
you to know that he has been so far forgetful of the interests of the Arabs
as to throw in his lot with our enemies. Misfortune has now overtaken
him and we trust that this will show him his error and lead him to peace
for the sake of his poor misguided followers.
We are sending this letter by the hand of your good messenger, who
will also bring to you all our news.
With salaams.
A. H. McMahon.
2f) Rabi al Awwal.
18.—Communication from the Grand Sherif of Mecca to the High
Commissioner, Cairo.
In the name of the Merciful, the Compassionate, to the most noble Ifis
Excellence the High Commissioner. May trod piotect him.
After compliments and respects. We received your Excellency s letter
dated 25 Rabi al Awwal, and its contents tilled us with the utmost pleasure
and satisfaction at the attainment of the required understanding and the
intimacy desired. I ask God to make easy our purposes and prosper our
endeavours. Your Excellency will understand the work that is being done,
and the reasons for it from the following
Firstlij --We had informed your Excellency that we had sent one of oui
sons to Svria to command the operations deemed necessary there. \Ve
have received a detailed report from him stating that the tyrannies of the
Covernment there have not left of the persons upon whom they could
depend, whether of the different ranks of soldiers or of others, save only a
few, and those of secondary importance; and that he is awaiting the aim a
of the forces announced from different places, especially Iron, the people of
the country and the surrounding Arab regions as Aleppo and the south of
Mosul, whose total nuinher is calculated at not less than 10(1,UOl by the
estimate ; and he intends, if the majority ol the forces mentioned a e Aial>
to begin the movement by them : and, if otherwise, that is of the lurks or
others he will observe their advance to the canal, and u hen they begin o
fiMrt, his movements upon them will be different to what they expect. _
s Secondly —We purposed sending our eldest son to Medina uitli su n iui
forces to strenotl.e. his brother (who is) in Syria, and with every possib.l.ty
of “cupving the railway line, or carrying out such operations as circum
stances niav admit. This is the .beginning of the principal movement, and
we ara satisfied in its beginning with what we had levied mi gumrls o k^
the interior of the country quiet; they are of the people oM 'jaz o •
ma"Y reasons which it would take too long to set forth, chiefly 'lit
difficulties in the way of providing their necessities ' v h i secrecy a„d spee^
(although this precaution was not necessary) and to nake it easy to l g
reinforcements when needed; this is fl) e . ^ ^en as
understand. ' In my opinion it is sidic.ent, and ' f ‘
foundation and a standard as to our actions in the lace ol ; ‘ f .
unforeseen events which the sequence of events may shove. It remains lo.
ns to state what we need at present.