Coll 6/80 'South and South-Western boundaries of Saudi-Arabia' [‎5r] (9/140)

Jof and Marib. I did not pursue thie Bide lsBue4
5* Throughout the conversation I tried to do two
things: to distinguiah clearly between the innocence of the
Saudi Government and the responsibility of Mr* Philby, and to
speak of Mr* Phllby^ action with what seems to me the
proper mixture of seriousness and ridicule* I told 1 uad
Bey that Mr* .'hilby was an old colleague and acquaintance
of mine* Kveryone knew that he enjoyed being obstinate and
tiresome, particularly when Hie Majesty’s Government were
concerned - a quality of which there was clear evidence in the
Saudi reply to my letter, as in the nonsense about his readiness
to show his British passport (Iuad Bey laughed at this and
did not deny that the argument was Philby’s). It was not a
question of our punishing him for an offence but of our making
it clear to the Gaudi Government that his action might have
brought them under the suspicion of committing a serious
diplomatic impropriety* He had obtained an armed 'escort”
from the C.audi authorities for the purpose of topographical
work in Tfajran. The results of this work would be interesting
to him as an explorer, but they would also be of greet use
to the Saudi Government, and Mr. PhiIby was in a way acting as
their employee. (Fuad Bey did not object to this i.tetement,
but on the contrary nodded assent). In any case, I went on,
the "escort” was provided for this specific purpose, but
Mr. hilby, carefully concealing his intention both from the
Saudi Government and from the British authorities, used it for
a quite different purpose, viz. to enter the Aden Protectorate
two hundred miles away. In fact, Mr. Philby had played a
nasty trick upon the Saudi autliorities and we expected them
to make this quite clear to him.
4. 3’uad Bey took no exception to anything in my state
ment/