Coll 6/16 'Future of: Royal Family. Probable happenings on the death of Ibn Saud.' [‎127v] (255/440)

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\ they had come from some wicked place outside the Yemen to create disturbance,
1 All the same sentiments run through a long telegram from the Yemeni Minister
l for Foreign Affairs to Fuad Bey Hamza, in reply to a telegram from the latter,
(which, perhaps significantly, has not been published. Qadhi Baghib was even
1 more eloquent than his master and supported what he said by curse and oath.
5. The same number of the Vmm-al-Qura includes, in a short general
account of this year’s pilgrimage, the reply given by the King to those who offered
him their congratulations at Mina. This is of less interest than the interview
mentioned in paragraph 5 of my despatch under reference, tvhich also appeared.
In the interview the King explained why he had resisted the suggestions Of his
own people that he should visit foreign lands. He expressed his cautiousness, as
a simple Bedouin, unfamiliar with tricks of language, in regard to journalists,
who Were accustomed to manipulate it. He was, however, ready to answer any
questions. Three of the questions put to His Majesty related to the attempt on
his life. Speaking of it generally, he convicted his assailants of irreligion. He
caring only for the Unity and the protection of what he possessed. He had been
saved by God, but his first concern had been the safety of the pilgrims. He
described the measures he had taken to close the doors of the Haram and to prevent
bloodshed therein, after which he had completed the circumambulation of the
Kaaba and returned to Mina. Replying to a second question regarding the
investigation and the position Of the Imam Yahya in the matter, the King
expressed his conviction that the Imam had had nothing to do with it, as “ the
man was not devoid Of religion ” and their relations were excellent. He left it to
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to inform his interlocutors regarding the
enquiries which had been made. His Majesty returned a more guarded reply to a
third question about the suggestion that Seif-al-Islam Ahmad had been respon
sible for the affair. There was much talk, he said in effect, about many persons
and he could not go by rumours. He Went on to speak of a presentiment ne had
had at Arafat, how he had thought of means to deal with and arrest an assailant,
if one should mingle with the crowd, and how he had then, confiding in God, let
it pass from his mind. He went on to say more about the Unity and the purity
of the belief of the people of Nejd, who took their stand on the Koran and
tradition, as expounded by the four Imams.
6. The King replied to various other questions, which bore less directly on
the subject of the present despatch. As his utterances, except as regards
Palestine, were not of sufficient importance to report separately, I may as well
sum them up briefly here as follows:—
(a) He was favourably impressed by the sympathy shown by the Egyptians*
Who were brethren and with whom there was no* cause for dispute.
(b) On the Iraqi journalists expressing pleasure at what he had said to the
party of Iraqi boy scouts, the King affirmed solidarity with Iraq.
(c) I am reporting separately His Majesty’s remarks about Palestine;
(d) Replying to an expression of Moroccan sympathy with himself and his
people, the King said that many of the tribes of Morocco were of Nejdi
origin and that Arabs were all of one race.
7. The Saut-ut-Hejaz of the 25th March adds nothing of interest to the
above, except a reference to a sympathetic telegram received by it from an
Egyptian lady named Labida Ahmad, who had played a certain role in the past in
Ibn Baud’s entourage.
8. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Government of India,
Bagdad, Jerusalem* Bushire, Aden and Cairo;
I have, &e.
ANDREW RYAN.