Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎109v] (219/802)

141. No full account of the treaty can be given here but the following are
the main heads of what was agreed upon :
( 1 ) Neither party to enter into any commitment towards a third Power which
might preiudice the interests of the other.
(2) All disputes to be settled by friendly negotiation, or failing this, under
the new arbitration protocol to be negotiated in due course.
(3) Joint efforts to be made to settle peacefully any dispute between either
party and any third party, involving danger of war.
( 4 ) Joint efforts to be made to repel any aggression against either party.
Definition of aggression.
( 5 ) Stated measures to be taken by each party in the event of disorder m
the territory of the other.
( 6 ) Efforts to be made to secure the accession of the Yemen to the treaty.
More general provision for the possible accession of any other
independent Arab State, at the request of such State.
(7) Exchange of educational and military missions.
( 8 ) Each party to be free but not bound to request the othei to undeitake
its diplomatic and consular representation abroad.
( 9 ) Caveat in favour of Iraqi obligations under the Covenant of the League
of Nations and the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930. Both parties to carry
out the provisions of article 17 of the Covenant and to observe the
principles of the Kellogg Pact of 1928. . .
(10) Either party to be free to denounce the treaty without notice, in the
event of aggression by the other against a third party. Friendship
not to be impaired by such denunciation.
(11) Preservation of previous treaties between the two parties, where they
do not conflict with the present treaty.
(12) Negotiation of subsidiary agreement on stated subjects to be begun within
one year. . , ,
(13) (14) Treaty to come into force on exchange of ratifications and to
remain in force for ten years and a further similar period, failing
notice of termination one year before the expiration of the first period.
142. The definition of aggression under (4) is modelled on that in the
Turco-Iraqi-Iranian Pact of Non-Aggression initialled at Geneva last autumn.
The Saudi Government have no present intention, however, of joining m that pact.
Special interest attaches to the references to the Covenant of the League ot
Nations in the definition of aggression and at (9). Fuad Bey Hamza told
Sir Andrew Ryan on the 13th April that the two Kings were informing the King
of the Yemen that day of the conclusion of the treaty. He did not feel assuied
that the Yemen would eventually accede to it, as the Imam Jahya might hesitate
over certain clauses, e.g., those referring to the Covenant of the League
143 The celerity with which the treaty with Iraq was negotiated renects
the eagerness of certain Arab statesmen to get their countries together in a bloc
which might take advantage of trouble in Europe. The Saudi negotiations with
Eo-ypt (paragraph 150 below) have been expedited in the same spirit, which is
further reflected in the recent unrest in Syria and Palestine and m such minor
events as the despatch of Yemeni students to Iraq the tours of Iraqi Members of
Parliament, &c. Most of these matters are outside the scope of this report but
it is significant that on the 29th April Sheikh Yusuf Yasm consulted Sir Andrew
Ryan confidentially under instructions about a telegram from the President of
the Supreme Moslem Council in Palestine, invoking Ibn Saud s support for th
latest Arab anti-British movement there. Sheikh Yusuf expatiated on the
King’s eagerness to avoid anything which might embarrass His Majesty s
Government or cloud his relations with them; but he spoke in the same breath of
the importance to his master of maintaining his prestige m the Arab world.
Sir Andrew Ryan said all he could to dissuade the King from encouraging hopes
that he would concern himself in Palestinian affairs. rp
144. No further clashes between patrols have been reported from the i ra ns-
iordan frontier. The Saudi complaints (paragraph 95 of the last report) still
remain unanswered. The general question of the frontier is dealt with m
paragraph 146 below.