File 57/1928 Pt 4 'Iraq-Nejd Relations: Mission of Sir G. Clayton to Ibn Saud.' [‎88v] (174/1364)

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Article 6 of the Bahra Agreement, which stipulates that—
“ the forces of ‘Iraq and Nejd may not cross the common
frontier in pursuit of offenders except with the consent of both
Governments/'
as applying to British as well as ‘Iraqi forces. Sir Gilbert Clayton
was instructed to assure His Majesty that His Britannic Majesty’s
Government fully intended to observe the stipulations of this Article,
and that British forces would not cross the common frontier in
pursuit of offenders. In the case, however, of an organised attack
on a township or post—as opposed to a mere tribal raid—or in the
event of a series of raids with which His Majesty had proved himself
unable or unwilling to deal, His Britannic Majesty’s Government
must reserve to themselves the right to take such action as they
thought fit. Sir Gilbert Clayton was directed, when communicating
this assurance to King Ibn Sa'ud, to invite His Majesty to explain
the meaning which he himself attached to the term “forces” in
Article 6 when applied to*the forces of Nejd. It was felt desirable
that, in order to avoid the possibility either of genuine misunder
standing or of equivocation, an acceptable definition of what must
be held to constitute the “ forces ” of Nejd should be obtained from
King Ibn Sa'ud, since it was understood that for military operations
he had hitherto relied almost exclusively upon tribal elements of
the nature of those which had recently carried out a number of
raids against ‘Iraq.
13. As you know, Sir Gilbert Clayton returned to Jeddah to
conclude his interrupted conversations with King Ibn Sa'ud at the
end of July, and he at once communicated to His Majesty the decision
of His Britannic Majesty’s Government in the matter of the advanced
posts and the various assurances and explanations set out in the
preceding paragraphs of this despatch. In doing so he emphasized
the close attention which the matter had received, and the full
consideration which had been given to His Majesty’s views and
arguments, and explained that, although unable to give way on
the main principle involved, His Britannic Majesty’s Governmenf
and the Iraq Government were prepared to go to great lengths to
meet the Government of the Hejaz and Nejd in various other questions
to which His Majesty had always expressed himself as attaching
high importance. For example, the ‘Iraq Government had expressed
their willingness to waive their objections to the extradition of
political offenders a point which the Hejaz and Nejd Government
had pressed for some time past. King Ibn Sa'ud replied that after
having given the matter careful and mature reflection, he was
unable to reconsider his attitude in regard to the advanced posts.
He represented that on this question he was now pledged to his
people, who would never be content with mere assurances in a matter
which they held to be vital, and in which he personally shared their
views to the full. Although still inspired by unalterable feelings of