"ملف ١١/٢ يوميّات وتقارير: سلسلة الجزيرة العربية" [ظ‎‎٧‎٥] (٢٢٢/١٥٠)

68
Memorandum No. 1030-S of 1934, dated the 2nd November 1934,
The Hon’ble the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf presents his
compliments to
1 . The Foreign Secretary to the Government of India,
2. His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires, Jedda,
and has the honour to transmit to him a copy of the undermentioned
document.
Demi-
official letter No. 1029-S., of 7 th November 1934 to J. G. Laith-
waite, Esquire, The India Office, London, with enclosure,
regarding Ibn Saud and Yeman Campaign.
Enel. 1 to S. No. (94).
•Demi-official letter from T. C- Fowle, Esq., C.B.E. Political Ro
dent, Persian Gulf, to J. G. Laithwaite, Esq., India Office, No.
1029-S./34, DATED THE 7TH NOVEMBER 1934.
When I was at home on leave recently I expressed the v^w m casual
conversation to the India Office, and I think also to the Foreign Office, that
in spite of Ibn Saud’s ostensible victory in the Yemen war his—Ibn baud s—
stock had probably gone down amongst the Arabs of the 1 ersian Lriixt.
The reasons I gave were that when Ibn Saud made his victorious invasion
of Yemen territory as far,down as, and including, Hodeidah, there was much
talk, not only in the Arab but in the English Press, °f how he was going
to follow up*these initial successes: capture Sana, install his son teisal as
.Viceroy of the Yemen, exact enormous indemnity from the Imam Yahya,
and so forth and that the final result fell far short of these expectations.
2 . I further expressed the opinion that the net result of the campaign
in Arab eyes was that while Ibn Saud had secured Nejran, he had evacuated
the whole oY the Yemen coast-line, including Hodeidah, without extracting
a penny of indemnity from the enemy That the average Arab s idea of
statesmanship was :—
“The good old rule, the ancient plan,
That he shall (take who has the power,
And he shall hold who can”,
*
and that he would refuse to believe that Ibn Saud would have given such
easy terms to the Imam if he had been strong enough to impose severer, ones.
3. During an interview which I had with the Shaikh of Kuwait when
I nassed through there recently on my way out, he touched on the question of
the Saudi-Yemen war, and said definitely that Ibn Saud’s prestige had gone
down on the Arab Coast of the Gulf as a result of that campaign. I
enclose for ready reference an extract from a recent Kuwait Intelligence
Summary, which is to the same effect.
The factor of Arab public opinion with regard to Ibn Sand is of some
practical importance as his authoritv over his subjects, especially over the
tribal elements, depends a good deal on prestige.
I am sending a conv of 'this letter to Metcalfe and to Calvert at Jedda.
Perhaps the Foreign Office would be good enough to give Ryan a copy.