مجموعة ٦/ ٢١(٢) "المملكة العربية السعودية: العلاقات مع حكومة بريطانيا: المفوضية السعودية في لندن والوزير البريطاني في جدة. تمديد معاهدة جدة." [ظ‎‎٣‎١‎٤] (٧٦١/٦٢٨)

4
r
2
toreign pressure. I will deal with the whole of this subject further, when our
discussions on the slavery question have advanced further.
7. The formula regarding the language of the treaty seems to me to be
unduly tortured. The principle appears to me to be one which His Majesty’s
Government might well accept in deference to the strong motive of amour-proyre,
which animates the Saudi Government in this matter. The present text oW
article 10^ of the treaty is to some extent contradictory. As no dispute ovel
matters of the linguistic interpretation has ever, so far as I am aware, arisen, I
should be personally prepared to renounce the stipulation in favour of the English
text. Other Powers, e.g., France and Italy, have accepted the principle of equal
validity. His Majesty’s Government themselves accepted in their treaty with
the Y emen the ascendency of the Arabic over the English text. It is, of course,
true, as Mr. Rendel pointed out to Euad Bey last September, that that was not
intended as a compliment to the King of the Yemen or his language; but the fact
remains that it has become a point of honour with the Saudi Government to insist
that the “ noble Arabic language ” is as good as any other for all purposes.
8. It has also to be considered whether, if His Majesty’s Government should
in due course agree to the prolongation of the validity of the treaty, subject to
provisos desired by the Saudi Government, they should not seek on their side to
impose conditions of their own. In this connexion, I would refer to paragraphs 8
and 9 of my memorandum of the 17th October, 1933, a copy of which was sent
to this post with your printed despatch No. 290 of the 26th October, 1933. I
have not materially altered the views expressed in that paper. Broadly speaking,
I do not attach very great importance from a practical point of view to most of
the points to which I drew attention in the paragraphs referred to, and I consider
that, in present circumstances, it would be wise to limit any conditions on the
British side as far as possible. This does not apply to paragraph 9 (7), the
subject matter of which has grown not less but more important since 1933. It
has been the subject of so much separate correspondence that I need not now
enlarge on it, except to say that the proposed exchange of notes might conceivably
be a convenient vehicle for any settlement of the question of the eastern and
south-eastern frontiers of Saudi Arabia, if such a settlement proves possible in
the near future.
9. I am sending copies of this despatch and enclosures to the Government
of India, Transjordan and Bushire.
I have, &c.
ANDREW RYAN.
Enclosure.
Draft Note to be Addressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the
British Legation.
YOU are aware that after the expiry of the period of seven years fixed for
the validity of the Treaty of Jedda, viz., September 1934, the relations established
between the Saudi Arab Kingdom and the United Kingdom in Great Britain, in
accordance with that treaty, have become susceptible of abrogation, (and) after
one of the contracting parties shall have given the other six months’ notice of
his intention to abrogate it. In view of the fact that it would be to the mutual
interests which both parties must desire to strengthen and consolidate, the
Government of His Majesty the King desire to agree with the Government of
the United Kingdom in Great Britain on a new and stable arrangement.
Therefore, and in accordance with the mutual desire shown by the two parties
on numerous occasions in regard to the prolongation of the effect of the provisions
of the Treaty of Jedda for a long period, my Government wish to take the
following steps in this connexion :—
(1) With the exception of what is stated in the following paragraphs, the
Government of His Majesty the King of the Saudi Arab Kingdom agree to the
extension of the effect of the Treaty of Jedda, which was signed on Friday, the