'File XXV/3 Arabian Politics (including Iraq). Arab Revolt in the Hejaz against the Turks, 1916' [‎234r] (467/490)

relations with Ibn Saud had been defined by the conclusion
of a revised treaty. Sir J. Sh uckburfch said that he was
sure that there was no intention of altering the present
arrangements under which action in|regard to Hajd or Hejaz
affairs was concerted between the Foreign Office andjthe
Colonial Office, but that the view of the Secretary of
State for the Colonies was that the Colonial Office should
in principle be regarded as the Department primarily
responsible for dealing with questions of policy in Arabia
and therefore the Department whose view should normally
prevail
As regards the question who would deal with
Parliamentary Questions relating to Ibn Saud, the general
view of the Conference was that, in deference to Ibn Baud's
expressed wish that his relations^should be with the Foreign
Office, such questions^hould normally be answered by the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, but that the
Colonial Office should furnish the material for the
replies.
(2) Revision of the 1 916 Treaty with Ibn S aud .
Sir J. Shuckburgh said that it was clear that
the existing Treaty between His Majesty's Government and
Ibn Saud was no longer appropriate and would have to be xeyxi
revised. It was agreed that a polite message should be xxj
sent to Ibn Saud informing him that Sir G. Clayton had
reported his desire for a revision of the Treaty: that
His Majesty's Government realised that the circumstances
had changed and that it was desirable to revise the treaty;
and that a communication on the subject would be addressed
to him very shortly.
Mr Spring Rice suggested that the/ new treaty whould
contain as little detail as possible, and urged that as
the whole negotiation of the treaty must be largely a matter
of tactics, it would be desirable before making any
definite proposals' to have the views of Sir G. Clayton
who was already on the way back to England from Aden.
Subject to this reservation, he proposed the undermentioned
subjects as suitable for inclusion in the Treaty, and these
were agreed to provisionally and subject to certain reser
vations shown in the notes.
(a) declaration of perpetual peace and friendship
(b) recognition by Ibn Saud of His Majesty&s
Government's special position in the neighbouring Mandated
Territories.
(c) agreement by Ibn Saud not to interfere with Arab
rulers with whom H.M.G. were in treaty relations, e.g.
Kuwait, Bahrain.
( Note . It was agreed that the actual ritx rulers to whom
this should apply would have to be carefully considered.)
(d) Settlement of the Trans-Jordan-Hejaz frontier.
(e) Something on the lines of Article 5 of the 1916
Treaty providing for the protection, etc., of pilgrims.
(Note . It was agreed that it would be necessary to
consult the Government of India before any forms of words
could be put to Ibn Saud.)
(f) promise by Ibn Saud to co-operate in the sup
pression of the Slave Trade and to recognise the practice
of consular manumission at Jeddah.
It was agreed that the question of retaining the
substance of Article 2 of the present treaty (viz. pro
tection against foreign agression) should be discussed
with