File 7251/1920 Pt 3 'Arabia: Situation and Policy; Agenda for Inter Departmental Committee Meetings' [‎255r] (147/268)

proposed change here, he wishes to be conciliatory in the hope of being more successful
in obtaining the subsidy later.
In spite of the attitude he has taken up regarding the latter, the fact remains he
is very short of funds, and that he may have realised any further bluff in the matter
is now useless.
Emir Abdullah has written me a very courteous and friendly reply, the purport of
which is that, while the present situation is quite well known to him, he is powerless.
Emir Abdullah and Iraq.
The Emir recently stated that Feisal appears to be “ our man now,” referring to
the current reports that the latter is to be offered the Kingship of Iraq. He is obviously
uneasy and inclined to be somewhat hurt, and has referred more than once to his being
the only one of the three elder brothers with no prospects, in spite of the part he
played in the war and subsequently.
Nejd Deputation.
I was promised a copy of King Hussein’s reply to Ibn Saud, but he put off writing
this until the last minute, let nobody see it, and gave it, sealed with his own hands, to
Ahmed-bin-Thanayan on the latter’s departure.
As regards the mention of old Turkish boundaries already reported, the matter
was not pursued owing to Ahmed-bin-Thanayan not being provided with the necessary
authority and to King Hussein getting angry at any argument on the question. The
King produced an old Arab map, but this had no boundary line traced on it, Khurma
and Tarabah being merely marked as in the Hedjaz.
Nothing further was done, officially or unofficially, to substantiate the claim beyond
the production of the account books by Emir Ali.
It seems certain the references to old Turkish boundaries are largely bluff on the
part of King Hussein, and that he has no official maps or documents, beyond the above,
in support of his statements.
Would it not perhaps be possible to obtain any information on the subject from
the archives in Constantinople ?
“ Al Falah.”
This paper has been restarted in Mecca with its original editor, Omar Shakir, who
was one of those sentenced by the court-martial in Beirout. It is suspected that King
Hussein is using this paper for airing views which he could not expose in his own official
paper without risking protests from the French consul-general.
“ QuiblaA
No. 414 contains an article comparing the treatment of Germany, the former
common enemy, since the armistice and that meted on to the Arabs. No. 41 5 contains
part of the “ open letter ” sent you with my last report, with comments. No. 416 gives
in detail the numbers who came for the pilgrimage between the end of February and
the 20 th August.
Emir Ali.
It is commonly believed that the Emir is not returning to Medina, in view of King
Hussein’s approaching abdication, when he will succeed. .
It is reported that before his departure he despatched 500 camels, with munitions
from the Turkish dumps, to the north.
ecca Deport.
A copy of the Mecca representative’s report ending the 19th September is attached.
I do not think paragraph 2 need be considered. , ,,
With regard to the King husbanding resources, he took yesterday another
3,000 bags of rice from the customs for despatch to Mecca, as well as borrowing
10 , 000 h from certain merchants. „ . . , Qu or >;f APrlpl
The Medina caravan left here in the course of the last three days, bhenf Abde
Rahim informed me the number of camels exceeded 5,000 and I h ?J e . estl "|f ^
number seen at about 4 , 000 , so it appears the first report of the Medina pilgrimage
was underestimated.
Major Marshall is submitting a report to you.
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