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Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [147r] (304/914)
The record is made up of 1 volume (453 folios). It was created in 7 Sep 1927-10 Jan 1935. It was written in English. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
this DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOYERNMENT
r
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
August 3, 1934. w ^ *
Section IV-■ -™-,A i
[E 5063/2429/25
No. 1.
Record of Conversations during. Sir A. Ryan's Visit to Taif, July 12-14, 1934.—
(Received in Foreign Office, August 3.)
WHEN Sheikh Yussuf Yasin met me outside the town on the 12th July, he
spoke to me briefly about the King’s reasons for wishing to see me. In the first
place, the King had received other foreign representatives in Taif, and he wished
to see also the British representative. Indeed, he hoped for an opportunity of
receiving me at Riadh as well, where he had seen no British representatives for
a long time, although he had met them elsewhere. The King also wished to take
this opportunity of explaining his views on certain matters, notably the position
to the north of his country, with special reference to Iraq, and the question of
his frontiers. I expressed my gratitude to His Majesty for having enabled me
to see him at Taif, and said that I had taken the instructions of my Government
immediately on receiving his invitation, and had been directed to ascertain the
King’s views on the matters that interested him, in order to be able to report
on them at home. My Government had drawn my special attention to two
matters, one of which Sheikh Yussuf had mentioned, viz., frontiers, the other
that of Saudi relations with Koweit.
2. My audience with the King in the evening of the 12th July was almost
entirely formal. On my thanking the King for his invitation and all the
kindness I had been shown, he referred very pointedly to his hope of seeing me
in Riadh also, perhaps after next Ramadan, if the rains were good. The only
other matter of interest mentioned was the fact that the return of the heir
apparent was delayed, as Seyfal Islam Ahmed had been prevented from
completing the return of hostages by trouble with rebellious Yemeni tribes. I
gathered from Mr. Philby later in the evening that the news of trouble inland in
the Yemen had created some stir in high Saudi circles. Incidentally, Mr. Philby
spoke as an unrepentant critic of the recent peace settlement and a non-believer
in its permanence. He believed still that the King had got some money payment
and an assurance that the administration of the Yemen Tihama would be left m
the hands of Abdullah-al-
Wazir
Minister.
for not less than a year.
3. Sheikh Yussuf Yasin called on me at 8 a.m. on the 13th July, in
accordance with my suggestion that we should have a talk before I discussed
serious affairs with the King. I gave him a general outline of my instructions,
emphasising the readiness of His Majesty’s Government to cement their relations
with Ibn Saud, their belief that a closer relationship could best be attained by
the friendly settlement of outstanding questions, of which the most important
were those mentioned above; their willingness to engage in conversations about
these questions; and their wish to be informed as to the King s desiderata. 1
tried to sound Sheikh Yussuf as to whether Fuad Bey could be empowered to
hold conversations in London, saying that, if so, His Majesty s Government ha
expressed readiness to hear him, or whether the Saudi Government would prefer
that the questions should be discussed on my return, after preparation m e
interval. Sheikh Yussuf thanked me for my statement and my assurances ot
the friendly dispositions of His Majesty’s Government, but said tha , as e
King wished to see me early and could not keep me after 10 a.m., e pre erre
not to comment on what I had said. He delivered a message from the King,,
asking me to convey to His Majesty’s Government and the naval authorities an
expression of his appreciation of the helpful attitude of ^e c omman ers o e
Red Sea sloops during the occupation of Hodeida. I responded smtabiy sayi g
that the reports of the officers in question had contained constant references to
the gracious kindness of the Amir Feisal and the excellence o
with Sheikh Abdullah Suleiman, &c.
[181 c—1]
About this item
- Content
This volume concerns relations between the British Government and the Government of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia).
The volume largely consists of copies of Foreign Office and Colonial Office correspondence. The correspondence near the beginning of the volume discusses Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd's] wish to enter into full diplomatic relations with the British Government. The Hejazi Government's proposal in 1929 to establish a legation in London is accompanied by a request for the British Government to raise the status of its Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and Consulate in Jedda to the same status.
The subsequent correspondence in the volume discusses the following:
- The British Government's consideration (and acceptance) of Ibn Saud's proposal, and the appointment of Sir Andrew Ryan as His Majesty's Minister at the British Legation in Jedda in May 1930.
- Hafiz Wahba's appointment as Hejazi Minister in London in 1930.
- Complaints made by the Hejazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding Sir Andrew Ryan's attitude and conduct since his arrival in Jedda.
- Details of an Hejazi-Nejdi diplomatic mission to Europe (including visits to Italy, France, Britain, and the Netherlands), undertaken in May 1932 and headed by Amir Feisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], Hejazi Minister for Foreign Affairs (this part of the volume includes detailed accounts of the mission's meetings with Foreign Office officials during its visit to London).
- Sir Andrew Ryan's account of his meeting with Ibn Saud at Taif in July 1934, and their discussion of the 'blue line' (the frontier which marked the Ottoman Government's renunciation of its claims to Bahrain and Qatar, in the Anglo-Ottoman convention of 1913) and the Kuwait blockade.
- Details of several meetings held at the Foreign Office between Fuad Bey Hamza (Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia), Sir Andrew Ryan and George William Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), during September 1934, regarding the 'blue line', the Kuwait blockade, and the future of the Treaty of Jedda (the treaty signed between Britain and Ibn Saud in 1927).
- Requests from the Italian Government for information regarding Fuad Bey Hamza's visit to London.
The volume features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Agent and Consul at Jedda, a position that was raised to His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda in late 1929 (Hugh Stonehewer Bird, William Linskill Bond, Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, and Albert Spencer Calvert successively); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); His Majesty's Ambassador in Rome (Ronald William Graham); Ibn Saud; Amir Faisal; officials of the Hejazi/Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the 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. .
In addition to correspondence, the volume contains a copy of the minutes of a meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. The meeting, which took place in London on 8 November 1934, was primarily concerned with the settlement of the 'blue line' issue, the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier, and the Kuwait blockade.
The volume includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (453 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 for this description commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 449; these numbers are written in pencil 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. The front and back covers, along with the two leading and two ending flyleaves, have not been foliated.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [147r] (304/914), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2087, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100066378256.0x000069> [accessed 13 May 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2087
- Title
- Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:iv-v, 3r:78v, 80r:96v, 100r:151v, 153r:218v, 220r:227v, 229r:238v, 240r:240v, 242r:242v, 244r:247v, 249r:255v, 258r:286v, 288r:293v, 298r:316v, 320r:362v, 364r:366v, 370r:371v, 373r:406v, 409r:422v, 424r:426v, 428r:448v, v-r:vi-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence