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' [‎142v] (291/769)

38
Thirteenth Meeting.
The thirteenth meeting was held on Tuesday, the 27th October
at 9 a.m., with the usual attendance.
I opened the proceedings by informing His Highness that 1 wished
to speak for a few minutes on the question which we had discussed
yesterday. His advisers had submitted an informal document which
was in effect a counter-draft to the one I had put up. I had studied
their draft caretully and had come to the conclusion that, while it
contained various amendments, additions and alterations in wording
it did not oiler any basis for discussion. For the most part these
alterations had the effect of undermining and weakening the prin-
c.ples laid down in my draft proposals, if not qf making them entirely
me ectue. I feared, therefore, that I must reject them as a whole.
1 pointed out that my draft proposals had been drawn up after full
Inrl nd caretul stud y of the question from every point of view,
and that they represented the limit to which I was able to go. I
ad gone a very long way towards meeting His Highness’ wishes
cession h 7 ImiX>rta ? t ^ uestion <> f *af and had made a further con-
cession by moving the frontier line a few miles further to the north
was also nt 61 !? 6 / 0 Hls . highness’ request. I had stated that I
northern Cr ^ uesti o n s of trade facilities on the
"e S ed in ZTV h °u Ug u' WaS Unable to d o so on the lines sug-
l' was afrairf thTt f ^ /u 1 be ? n subm ' tte d to me by his advisers,
issue and* 1 L . U1 t _. er dlscusslon would only tend to confuse the
very carefnlk n ke i T* H 'S :hness a S ain ‘<> think the matter over
draft proposals'in their ™irspirit heth If r °as "f ^
suSheT't d hos°e t ^ ,he , CaSe ' Hi^hneL^d'L c3d it
only course ooen to 0t> ° Sa ' nnd f elt bound to reject them, then the
departure T wicl aT" V 'i' 1 discontinue discussions and take my
hT my dJftTr^ m!,ke !t qui,e a, I had already stated,
were Treed to - » "'hole and that if I
be wnth-
of Kaf,
that His MaiVctVrC r 1 arr ived ; with the important exception,
the fact that the Envn^™!? 16 ^ ' vou ^ d f 16 unfavourably impressed bv
Highness had te; TabWo the3 L had a PP oi " M treat with His
unlikely that a slmdar onorfr *" and * " ! ’ s
understanding on the ones? r un,t > r wou ^ ar ise for arriving at an
issue to my mission whirl 'i?' 1 ! u C iad d j scu ssed. An unsuccessful
declarations of friemlshin n beCn rece i vec 1 here with such cordial
of the deepest regret to me 00 T " ener °u s hospitaHtv, would be a cause
the matter his earneef noped that His Highness would give
soon as possible so as toTn^/' 011 and let 1116 know h ’ s decision as
future movements. ' ab e 1716 to make arrangements for my
! b ' 1 , Sn ' 1 "' < ' nqU1>ed if 1 " -ou| d tell him my objections to his draft.
out entering into' detadedTs eaSV ' for me to criticise his draft with-
was that the orincinlec , l ' SRIOn . but that mv general objection
and undermTed This aDD ted h ch^ dr f ft 7“ b ? sed w^ere Aveakened
to sentences included '-fl ^ 1ie ^^ to alterations in wording and
might appear to have carefuMy studied,
destroved the efficacv of a S 1 .^ n, ^cance, but which in effect
eiticacy of my proposals. There were one or two