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Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.' [74r] (148/680)
The record is made up of 1 file (338 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1939-1 Jan 1945. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
v • ' JU o/h/' n/a/loLot^
*Cj4>\pO*r\0^
^ Military M ission to Saud i Arabia.
Sir Maurice Peterson, recalling the previous discussions regarding Ibn
Saud’s request for a Sunni Moslem military mission and Mr. Wallace Murray’s
intimation that the United States War Department would like American partici
pation in it, said that, after discussions with the War Office, he wished to make
the following suggestion to meet the American point of view : Ibn Sand should
he offered a military mission composed partly of Sunni Moslem Indian officers
and partly of American officers, but, in view of our special experience in Arab
affairs and of our interests in the area, we would like the head of the mission to
be a British officer. This would seem especially indicated in view of the number
of British officers with special Arab experience.
Mr. Wallace Murray said he would discuss this with the United States War
Department.
Saudi A rabian Finance.
Sir Maurice Peterson said he had heard in a telegram from Jedda that
Mr. Moose had sent a telegram to King Ihn Saud saying that, if Great Britain
were to restrict the financial assistance given to Saudi Arabia, the United States
would be able to assist. Ibn Saud had enquired, in reply, whether the offer was
made on the instructions of the United States Government or was a personal
expression of opinion.
Mr. Wallace Murray was obviously surprised at this information and
expressed great doubts as to whether it could be correct. He thought that
conceivably it might be a garbled and distorted version of the conclusions of the
earlier discussions between himself and Sir Maurice Peterson, in which it had
been agreed that the British and American Governments would together give
financial assistance to Ibn Saud.
Sir Maurice Peterson said that he did not wish to emphasise the question at
all, but it seemed to him to illustrate the danger of the Americans and British in
Saudi Arabia being played off against each other. This seemed to apply whether
the actual information was true or false. Mr. Wallace Murray indicated his
general agreement with this conclusion.
Mr. Kohler said that he wished to explain that, in view of certain doubts
expressed by Mr. Pinsent on one or two points of fact, after the second meeting
regarding joint Anglo-American action to assist Ibn Saud financially and with
supplies, Mr. Wallace Murray had not telegraphed at the time to Mr. Landis as
the result of the meeting. Subsequently, Mr. Landis had been approached by the
Minister of State’s Office and had telegraphed for direct information as to what
had passed. A telegram had therefore been sent to Mr. Landis as agreed, and a
telegram had also been sent to Washington emphasising the urgent need for the
United States Treasury to reach a conclusion on the currency problem.
About this item
- Content
This file concerns British policy towards Saudi Arabia during the Second World War (the abbreviation 'Qn' in the title stands for 'Question'). The correspondence discusses the question of providing financial or material assistance to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], as well as the United States' growing economic and strategic interests in Saudi Arabia.
The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Reader Bullard, Hugh Stonehewer Bird, and Stanley R Jordan successively); the Secretary of State for India (Leo Amery); the Viceroy of India (Archibald Percival Wavell); the Chancellor of the Exchequer (John Anderson); officials of the Foreign Office, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , the Treasury, the Government of India's Finance and External Affairs Departments, and the United States Embassy in London.
Related matters of discussion include the following:
- The idea (initially discussed in correspondence dating from 1939) of an alliance or a bloc of Arab states (chiefly comprised of Saudi Arabia and the Yemen), which would support the Allied cause.
- The Italo-German reaction to Ibn Saud's refusal to receive German diplomat Dr Fritz Konrad Ferdinand Grobba, a decision that was applauded by the British.
- Italian influence in the Middle East.
- Anglo-French co-operation in the Middle East.
- Details of the Saudi Government's finances (i.e. expenditure and revenue) during the early war years.
- Arrangements for loans and payments from the British to the Saudi Government, as well as details of royalties and loans paid to the Saudi Government by the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Casoc).
- Proposals for an irrigation and agricultural mission to Saudi Arabia, headed by a United States agricultural expert.
- Conversations between Ibn Saud and United States General Patrick Hurley during the latter's visit to Riyadh in May 1943.
- The Government of India's decision in 1942 not to allow pilgrim ships to sail from India to Saudi Arabia, because of a risk of the ships being attacked.
- Ibn Saud's requests in 1944 for the British Government to send to Saudi Arabia financial and military advisers, preferably Sunni Moslems [Muslims].
- The proposed appointment of Ibn Saud's requested financial adviser, which is delayed and eventually abandoned, following the United States' suggestion that the position be given to a United States adviser, because of the United States' 'preponderant interest' in the Saudi economy.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (338 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 339; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 262-286; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.' [74r] (148/680), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2163, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100046518046.0x000097> [accessed 5 April 2025]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2163
- Title
- Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:36v, 39r:57v, 59r:110v, 113r:182v, 184r:189v, 191r:310r, 311v:339v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence