"ملف ٢٢\٢٣ II مؤتمر الكويت ١٩٢٤" [و‎‎١‎٩‎٣] (٥٤٤/٣٨٥)

CODE TELEGRAM
From: Knox Kuwait,
To : Colonies, London repeated Baghdad and Jerusalem
No. : 78
Dated: 22.2.24.
In view of Baghdad telegram No.77 of 21st February
and difficulty of Trans Jordanian Snvoy reaching in time, I
have telegraphed message to Bahrain holding back Nejd envoys
for another fortnight. I regret I could not await your final
instructions but time was too short to admit of delay.
Secondly. 1 have received yesterday Ibn Sa’ud’s
replies to my letters of which translations were forwarded
with my despatch No.38 dated 26th January. Replies are
polite and conciliatory and show no signs of breaking off
negotiations. In reply to the Iraq letter his attitude is
summed up in last two lines where he says that King Fsisal
is too exalted to grant a refuge to seditious persons and that
Iraq Government should not recognise tribal customs opposed
to justice and civilisation. He offers help to restrain and
punish tribes.
Letter in regard to parallel 32° ie more int er esting
but requires careful translation to appreciate exact meaning.
He offers to negotiate direct with Britain as mandatory power
for protection of his commerce and abandons claims to North
on the understanding that treaty will become inoperative when
and if territory passes out of maddate. He has full
confidence in great Britain than whom he has no other trust
jqotHE-
but mere' in Iraq and Trans Jordania, the latter of whom he
cannot permit to dominate his commerce and vital relations
with Egypt and Syria. If necessary I will again telegraph
gist of last letter after full consultation with More as
to exact significance.-Knox.