Coll 34/3 'Slavery and Slave Trade: Red Sea and Arabia: Attitude of Ibn Saud' [‎7r] (18/886)

EASTERN (Arabia)
CONFIDENTIAL.
7G
/ 7
December 13, 1934.
Section 1.
[E 6510/722/25]
No. 1.
Sir John Simon to Sir A. Ryan (Jedda)
(No. 452.) ' ''
Q •
’ QTAim? • . , Foreign Office, December 13 1934
further °“ r h<5 25th ° Ctober ’ 1 have “^^ered
mrtnertne suggestion that His Majesty s Government might agree to abandon
the right of manumission at present exercised by His Majesty's Minister at Jedda
sfavery™ ^ ad ° ptl0n by the Saudi Government of effective measures against
n n 2 f M° U - i eca i 1 tbat '’ 1 . n „ tl ? e oourse of the conversation with the Saudi
R P ^n M a ml f “d 01 Fo '' el 8' n A ® alrs w hich took place at the Foreign Office on
the 20th September and m which you yourself took part, Fuad Bey Hamza
suggested that King Ibn Saud might be persuaded to take action with a view to
uniting the future importation of slaves into Saudi Arabia and with a view to
alleviating the lot of such slaves as already existed in that country, provided that
such action weie made to appear spontaneous and could not be represented as
having been extorted from him by foreign pressure. Fuad Bey added, however,
that King Ibn Saud would require in advance some guarantee that, if he were
to take action in this sense, His Majesty’s Government would be prepared in
return to abandon their present right of manumission. A copy of the record of
this conversation, which was the second of those held in London, was enclosed
in my despatch No. 353 of the 3rd October to His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires
at Jedda.
3. There are, in principle, grave objections to any action which may be
construed as in any way a relaxation of the warfare which His Majesty’s Govern
ment have consistently waged against the institution of slavery or as a surrender
of any weapon which they are at present able to use in their attacks on that
institution. At the same time, I have been impressed by the evidence adduced
in your memorandum^ 1 ) written at the Foreign Office on the 23rd October, 1934,
a copy of which is enclosed for reference, to show that the right of manumission
at present enjoyed in Saudi Arabia by His Majesty’s Government depends, in
fact, for its effective exercise upon the goodwill of the Saudi Government, and
must consequently be regarded, not only as a precarious, but even as a wasting,
asset. In view of that evidence, I am disposed at least to examine the possibility
of some arrangement on the lines suggested by Fuad Bey. Before, however, I can
reach any final decision as to the advisability of such an arrangement, I shall
need to be more fully informed regarding the exact nature of the legislation which
King Ibn Saud would propose to introduce in this connexion, and the probable
degree of effectiveness with which it would be carried out.
4. In principle, if properly framed and carried out, both of the measures
suggested by Fuad Bey in London might be acceptable, provided that their
execution could be properly guaranteed. With regard to the first of these,
namely, the prohibition of the further importation of slaves into Saudi Arabia,
Sir George Maxwell, with whom I have also discussed this matter, has suggested
that possibly the Saudi Government might be urged to adhere to clause (a) of
article 2 of the International Slavery Convention of 1926. The relevant section
of that article runs as follows :—
“ The high contracting parties undertake, each in respect of the terri
tories placed under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or
tutelage, so far as they have not already taken the necessary steps : {a) To
prevent and suppress the slave trade.”
5 . I shall be glad to learn whether, in your view, this suggestion, which
appears to have much to recommend it, would be practicable. If , for some reason,
( 1 ) Not printed.
[281 n—1]