'File 61/6 vol.4 (D 34) Bin Saud and Akwan Movement' [‎30v] (60/565)

gifts upon them especially when Government saw that they only got in return
contumacy, intrigue and "rebellion. Arabs could not be well governed except
bv force mixed with justice. Constitutional Government such as was being thought
of for Iraq will only bring more trouble and unrest and entail serious consequences
which were not dreamed of at present.
I here tried to put in a few words about the British having accepted a moral
responsibility, as a Mandatory Power, of administering the country with the help
and co-operation of the natives and gradually training them to look after their
own affairs and that this was the matured judgment of the League of Nations
and Peace Conference, etc., etc.
Bin Saud, however, went on with his usual flow of eloquence. " Look at the
Sharif " he said " and his sons Faisal and Abdullah, what are they doing now ?
I know for certain that they are extremely pampered (as they are) by the British
Government. They are actually intriguing against and vilifying the English in
Hejaz, in Syria and Palestine and in Iraq No one, he said, cared for or wanted
either the Sharif or any of his sons ; still Government made so much of them and
would go on supporting them. He had himself received letters and secret pamph
lets from Faisal tempting and cajoling him to join them ; but he could not possibly
do so. He could not afford to be unfaithful to his pledges or be disloyal to the
British Government as long as they did not break their treaty with him. He has
been always true to his word and will always be so, because his religion enforces
loyalty to treaty obligations. He quoted from Quran "Fastaqimu lahummasta^
qimu lakum " ' [Be faithful to them (who are in treaty with you) as long as they
are faithful to you].
He himself on the contrary was not cared for by Government. Even his sub
sidy was stopped for two months which act of Government gave him the greatest
chagrin. He had been granted thfs comparatively little monetary help (i'anah mali-
vah) that is the subsidy in return for great sacrifices he had made for Government.
He had only for their sake given up for ever the rich territories of Koweit, Bahrr in,
Qatar and Oman all of which were his as having been conquerred by his grand-father
Faisal. He could take possession of these lands at any time in the past 'and in the
future but he must refrain from any such action which is contrary to treaty and
opposed to the interests of his friend, the British Government. He has even now
received letters from Syria, from Mosul and from Baghdad itself begging him to take
over these places and rule over them or help them in establishing their own govern
ment. He refused to listen to these appeals and temptations for Government's sake.
Even at the present moment he has delegates here from Syria. He is beset with these
difficulties and is doing his best; but he is disregarded by Government who do not
help him, and at the same time he is called upon to perform an almost impossible
task of holding in check a most turbulent mass of men the " mutadayinah "
(Akhwan) whose numbers now come to no less than 100,000 men. The whole of
Nejd is now by virtue of the religious -awakening, " barkat-al-din " so closely
united as if all were one heart and soul and, as is too well known, they regard every
other people as " kafir wa mushrik " (heretics and polytheists or idolaters)
whose lives and properties were halal (allowable) to them. Who could check
these fiery warriors in their burning religious zeal to spread their creed and conquer
all who are near and around them ? Who can check them except God and Abdul
Aziz ? They are all hungry (ja'anin) in want of food and clothing and money and
he is at his wits' end how to supply their wants. It is with the greatest difficulty
that he has been doing so far without any outside means or help from Government
in whose interests, as well as his own, he was straining every nerve to work success^
fully and satisfactorily " ashar al lail wa ajua bil nahar " i.e., passing sleepless
nig t and remaining hungry and abstaining from food by day.
And what did His Majesty's Government do ? They put him 'down as a
common, almost insignificant, little chief, a Badu in Central Arabia who knew
nothing of the world. They regarded him as a junior, even a vassal to the Sharif
whom they have made into " Malik Husain " and yet this king was still yesterday
a subject of the Turks, called only " Sharif-Mecca," nominally " Amir Hejaz "
with a Qaim Maqam's rank. He, Sharif, is being lavishly supplied with money
tnd given all material help to an extent that he is not only himself living in ccmfort