File 57/1928 Pt 4 'Iraq-Nejd Relations: Mission of Sir G. Clayton to Ibn Saud.' [‎642r] (1281/1364)

(B 2983/1/91).
PORBIGH Omc® , S.W.l.
22nd June , 1928.
Sir,
1 am directed fey Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain
to acknowledge the receipt of your letter Ne.5@129/M.B. of
June 9th, relative to the complaints made by Ibn Saud on
the subject,; of the crossing of the Bejd frontier by
British aeroplanes from Iraq,
2. The Secretary of State agrees with Mr. Secretary
Amery that the reports of these incidents received by Ibn
Saud were erroneous on an important point, inasmuch as
bombs were not in fact dropped in Hejd territory during the
reconnaissances which took place in April. The question
whether it was. in the circumstances, desirable to
undertake any such reconnaissances is another matter,
and on this point Sir Austen Chamberlain directs me to
offer the following observations*
^ liarch 29 th * before he was aware that Ibn Said
had agreed to meet Sir Gilbert Clayton • the High
Commissioner addressed to Mr. Araery a despatch, in which
he examined at some length the position on the Bejd
frontier and dealt with various proposals which had been
put forward locally for dealing with the situation. In
paragraph 8 of his despatch Sir H, Dobbs wrote "His
"Britannic Majesty 1 s Government are consequently at
"liberty to continue the flights of aeroplanes over
* Bejd territory {which are in fact bellng continued)
"and to pursue the former policy of punishing the
"Mutair in Ne jd terra -ary for the atrocities in Iraq
"which they have already committed, I still think that
Th ® Under-secretary «r state, ' '
Colonial Office.