File 1166/1925 'Arabia: Nejd; negotiations with Ibn Saud regarding Iraq-Nejd question and Trans-Jordan boundary; Sir G Clayton's mission; Bahra agreement, 2nd November, 1925' [‎139v] (285/769)

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Majesty’s Government, assurances which had afforded me
greatest satisfaction as an earnest of rapid and easy agreement ' 6
which 1 should not fail to report to my Government. ’ antl
On the other hand I regretted to have observed that in our di
sion previous to our meeting that afternoon there had been but I'M*
evidence of willingness on His Highness’ part to meet His Male t
Government’s wishes in such a manner as would bring home to th S
by practical proof the full value of his declarations of friends! ^
Every point of importance which 1 had raised had been hotly <j P
bated, and I had noticed a tendency to introduce into our dis ^
sions an atmosphere of contention and bargaining over every point*
which would, 1 fear, have produced an unfavourable impression ’
His Majesty’s Government had it not been counteracted to som
extent by His Highness’s attitude that afternoon, of which 1 took
this occasion to express my appreciation. My time was not un
limited, and I was unwilling to trespass indefinitely on His High
ness’ valuable time and generous hospitality; moreover, it was not
in consonance with the dignity with which His Majesty’s Govern
ment had invested my mission that it should prolong its stay in*
definitely in the pursuit of fruitless discussions. ‘ I therefore
earnestly begged him to give me, in regard to the remaining points
for discussion, the same proof of willingness to meet the wishes of
His Majesty’s Government in a generous spirit as he had displayed
at our meeting that afternoon, more especially as it was only by such
a course of action that he would secure that confidence and sympathy
which His Majesty’s Government were only too anxious to offer and
which I felt convinced it was in the truest interests of His High
ness and the State of Nejd to receive. Failure to reach a settle
ment and a consequent rupture of negotiations would have a truly
lamentable effect on the relations between His Highness and His
Majesty’s Government.
I trusted that he would take this frank statement in the entirely
friendly spirit in which it was made and would give the matter his
very early and personal consideration, as I was anxious to dispose
without delay of the specific questions with which I was charged in
order that time might still be available for general discussion of any
question which he might wish to raise, as being of importance to
his country and to its future relations with the British Empire. If
His Highness saw fit to give me a favourable reply to the general
noTbe arrived’ SaW " 0 reaS ° n Wh> ' * Speedy ^“'ement'should
Ibn Sa'ud reiterated his good intentions and sincere desire for
X^/h 7' ' nR "' lth His Ma ) est y’ s Government. He again
ur£dn7h7l, hTn arRUmen ‘ S as re ? ards th e specific case of Kaf,
fhfvemme n t h h ‘ K ^ ^7" fu,ly to undera ‘ a " d that His Majesty's
teTito" and 7 r ! rr«' t0 admit that Kaf should tie within his
fart to ret r he "u.'" “"sequence informed his people of that
dama.re his 7 '""l h ' S , posltmn ln that respect would not only
reiwf un avo bf g ?. thr0U8rhout the ““"‘ry, hut would also
nowned for „7 ra f y T° n 77 Br!tain a* a Power which was re-
anxius m me V et r R ‘ 0 keep ^ P ,e<, Sed word. He was only too
fices he could t me ' 10 7 P° ss 'hte way and to make what sacri-
but on tMs 77 ar , r ' Ve 7 that understanding he so ardently desired;
difficulty ^ 1Cl! ’ r P <>!n l h p found himself in a position of extreme