File 53/1915 Pt 6 'The War: Arab Kingdom; Italian claims' [‎40r] (84/360)

No. S3-A of 1915.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
FOREIGN AND POLITICAL DEPARTMENT.
SECRET.
War.
To
The Most IIon’ble the MARQUESS of CREWE, K.G.,
Sis Majesty's Secretary of State for India.
Simla, the 20th May 1915.
My Lob,i> Marquess,
With reference to Your Lordship’s telegram, dated the 17th Febru
ary 1915, we have the honour to forward, for the consideration of His Majesty’s
o , , u Government, a copv of a letter* from
* No. C. 343, dn ted the 1st May 1915. t> in i. i. * i ' -.t
our Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Aden, with
which he submits a Treaty signed by himself and by the representatives of the
Idrisi Saiyid, for the ratification of the Government of India.
2. This Treaty does not appear to have been very concisely or very
clearly drafted, but the terms generally coincide with what Your Lordship
approved in your telegram of the 28th December 1911. The Idrisi, on
his side, undertakes to make a pact of friendship between himself and the
British Government, to attack and to endeavour to drive the Turks from their
stations in the Yemen and to extend his territories at their expense, and at the
same time to abstain from any hostile or provocative action against the Imam
Yahya so long as the latter does not join hands with the Turks. The British
Government, on their side, undertake to protect his territories from attack on
the seaboard, to guarantee his independence in his own domain, and at the
conclusion of the war to use diplomatic means to adjudicate between the rival
claims of the Idrisi and the Imam. Further, they have no desire to enlarge
their territories on Arabian soil but wish merely to see that the various Arab
rulers live peaceably and amicably together, each in his own sphere. As a
mark of appreciation of the work to be performed by the Idrisi Saiyid, the
British Government have aided him with funds and munitions and undertake
to give him further assistance in the prosecution of his campaign against the
Turks, in accordance with the measure of the Idrisi’s activities. Finally, the
British Government agree as heretofore to give the Idrisi Saiyid full and free
scone to trade and traific between his ports and Aden.
3. The only point that appears to require definite qualification is the
expression “Arabian soil ” in Article 6, as this scarcely falls in with our position
in Mesopotamia. If the words “ Western Arabia ” were substituted for “ Arabian
soil,” this objection would be removed and our intentions would be sufficiently
defined in the Treaty.
4. It might also perhaps be urged that by allowing the Idrisi under Article
3 to extend his territories and at the same time under Article 5 guaranteeing his
independence hereafter, we may be bringing ourselves into an embarrassing