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'File 61/11 IX (D 159) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [53r] (116/391)
The record is made up of 1 volume (192 folios). It was created in 4 Apr 1939-16 Jan 1942. 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.
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (A rabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
- ^S>KQ3 J
December 19, 1939.
S ection 1,
[E 8025/6278/25]
Copy No.
Sir R. Bullard to Viscount Halifax.—{Received December 19.)
(No. 164.)
My Lord,
Jedda, November 21, 1939.
IN my telegram No. 153 of the 13th November I reported the approaching
departure of Captain de Gaury and Mr. Heber Percy for Riyadh. They left
Jedda on the 14th November, and arrived at Riyadh on the 18th. Mr. Wall, whom
I left at Riyadh as liaison officer, left for Jedda on the 20th.
2. Enclosed is a copy of the instructions which I gave to Captain de Gaury
to take with him.
3. As I reported in the ninth paragraph of my despatch No. 150, dated the
24th October, the King waved aside my suggestion that the presence of a British
representative at Riyadh might lead other Powers to ask for the same privilege,
but the Italians have, in fact, already raised the question. According to a message
from Ibn Saud which I have received through Mr. Wall, the translator of the
Italian Legation referred to the journey of Captain de Gaury to Riyadh in a
conversation with Sheikh Abdullah Sulaiman, Minister of Finance, and asked
whether the King would allow other Governments to have representatives there;
whereupon the King instructed Sheikh Abdullah to let the Italian Minister know,
in some suitable manner, that the King himself had asked that a British repre
sentative should stay temporarily at Riyadh " because of the frequent necessity
for business discussions in connexion with neighbouring British territories," and
had wanted Sir R. Bullard to stay, but that being impossible. Sir R. Bullard had
offered to send someone else as representative and the King had accepted the offer.
4. My French colleague, far from objecting to the presence of a British
representative at Riyadh, where France is not represented, declares himself
delighted, and has asked whether, in case he should have some message of special
importance to send to the King, he may send it through the legation and
Captain de Gaury. M. Ballereau is a very good colleague and is anxious to show
a united Allied front in this country, and as I share his desire, I am not only
exchanging information with him, but have promised to convey to the King any
messages with which he may entrust this legation.
5. It is impossible to forecast how long it will be possible to keep Captain
de Gaury at Riyadh. If this were a normal year, Ibn Saud would come to Mecca
towards the end of December and stay for two months or so, and that would be a
signal for Captain de Gaury to leave the King, since he could not go to Mecca,
and, in any case, so long as the King is in the Hejaz. it is always possible to
arrange an interview for a minister in case of urgency. But it is possible that the
King may not come to the Hejaz this year : this would be an obvious economy, in
cost of transport and of hospitality to distinguished pilgrims, for the King to
make while his finances are straitened. If he does not come to the Hejaz, it will be
for Captain de Gaury to discover whether his presence is becoming irksome to the
King in any way. The object of sending a British representative to reside near
the King being to induce the King to maintain a favourable attitude towards us,
the arrangement loses its point if it ceases to be agreeable to the King.
6. I am forwarding copies of this despatch, without enclosure, to His
Majesty's Ambassadors at Cairo and Bagdad, to his Excellency the High
Commissioner for Palestine, and to the Middle East Intelligence Centre.
I have, &c.
R. W. BULLARD.
[780 t—1]
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and reports relating to the affairs of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire, the Foreign Office in London, the Political Agencies in Kuwait and Bahrain, 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. in London, and the Government of India.
The volume covers the build up to and outbreak of the Second World War and thus much of the correspondence focuses on this subject. Topics include:
- the activities of the Germans, Italians, and Japanese in the region;
- Ibn Sa'ud's allegiance to Britain and the Allies;
- Ibn Sa'ud's anxiety about Hashemite dominance in Syria and potential attack from hostile Arab nations;
- anti-Allied sentiment in the region;
- the financial and political contribution of the United States of America.
Other subjects covered by the volume are:
- the maintenance of law and order in the Kingdom;
- the presence of community feeling and national identity;
- Captain De Gaury's journeys in Saudi Arabia, including a report on agricultural development at Kharj, and the objection to his proposed tour of all of Arabia;
- Amir Sa'ud's trip to India for medical treatment;
- the anti-British activities of St John Philby and his subsequent arrest in India.
At the back of the volume (folios 177-186) are internal office notes.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (192 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The sequence starts on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled, and located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. The first three folios are marked 1A, 1B, and 1C respectively, then the sequence continues from 2 as normal. There is one other foliation system, written in pencil and inconsistent.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/572
- Title
- 'File 61/11 IX (D 159) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1r:1v, 1br:1cv, 2r:43r, 44v:58v, 60r:166r, 166r:189v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence