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Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.' [209r] (418/680)
The record is made up of 1 file (338 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1939-1 Jan 1945. 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.
u
TT
[E 1759/953/6S]
Copy No.
Mr. Baggallay to Mr. Stonehewer-Bird (Jedda).( y )
My dear Bird, Foreign Office, May 10, 1940.
WE have read with the greatest interest your letter of the 8th April about
our policy in the Arab countries.
2. As regards the particular question of Anglo-French co-operation in the
Middle East, you are perfectly right in thinking that contact exists between His
Majesty’s Government and the French Government. It is close and constant.
I do not mean that Great Britain and France have an agreed plan for the future
of the Middle East—which means primarily an agreed plan for the future of
Palestine,
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
and Syria. Nobody can tell to-day whether our idea of
giving Palestine her independence by “ white paper " stages or the French idea
of a treaty with Syria on the Iraqi or Egyptian model when the times are more
propitious will suffice in a post-war world, conditions of which are necessarily
unknown to-day. The path ahead is too dark at present for making plans except
on the most abstract plane, and I do not think it is practicable for anyone m
either country, by taking thought, to define his aims or agree upon
a line of policy except in so far as the aims and the lines of policy
of both countries are inherent in the nature of things (e.g., their general
strategical needs) or their public declarations (e.g., the white paper) (and,
incidentally, I should personally like both the French and ourselves to come
through the war, if we possibly can, without making any more promises to
anybody about the future of the “ Arab countries ”).
3. Nor does the existence of co-operation mean that the two Governments
see eye to eye in every particular. That would be manifestly impossible. We
may have occasional qualms as to whether the French are not being too strict in
Syria. The French may have qualms as to whether we are not too lax in Iraq.
But there is also a recognition of the fact that in the long run French methods
pay when worked by the French, and British methods when worked by the
British, and that in any case it is necessary to back the other up in whatever he
decides, after full reflexion, to he the best methods for territory where he is
mainly concerned.
4. But none of this means that His Majesty’s Government and the French
Government are not in agreement. It is true to say that they are in agreement
to agree. Every responsible Minister and official in both countries recognises
that they must sink or swim together ; that it is as necessary to work in unison
in the Middle East as in every other part of the world; and that, if ever the time
were to come for remodelling the Middle East, they must remodel it together.
Yours ever,
LACY BAGGALLAY.
(i) A copy of this letter has been given to the French Embassy.
[5—54]
ENCLOSURE IN WEEKLY LETTER
No. 2 1 3 Of,iAY 1940
FROM SECRETARY, POLITICAL AND
8E0RET DEPT.
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.
About this item
- Content
This file concerns British policy towards Saudi Arabia during the Second World War (the abbreviation 'Qn' in the title stands for 'Question'). The correspondence discusses the question of providing financial or material assistance to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], as well as the United States' growing economic and strategic interests in Saudi Arabia.
The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Reader Bullard, Hugh Stonehewer Bird, and Stanley R Jordan successively); the Secretary of State for India (Leo Amery); the Viceroy of India (Archibald Percival Wavell); the Chancellor of the Exchequer (John Anderson); officials of the Foreign Office, 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. , the Treasury, the Government of India's Finance and External Affairs Departments, and the United States Embassy in London.
Related matters of discussion include the following:
- The idea (initially discussed in correspondence dating from 1939) of an alliance or a bloc of Arab states (chiefly comprised of Saudi Arabia and the Yemen), which would support the Allied cause.
- The Italo-German reaction to Ibn Saud's refusal to receive German diplomat Dr Fritz Konrad Ferdinand Grobba, a decision that was applauded by the British.
- Italian influence in the Middle East.
- Anglo-French co-operation in the Middle East.
- Details of the Saudi Government's finances (i.e. expenditure and revenue) during the early war years.
- Arrangements for loans and payments from the British to the Saudi Government, as well as details of royalties and loans paid to the Saudi Government by the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Casoc).
- Proposals for an irrigation and agricultural mission to Saudi Arabia, headed by a United States agricultural expert.
- Conversations between Ibn Saud and United States General Patrick Hurley during the latter's visit to Riyadh in May 1943.
- The Government of India's decision in 1942 not to allow pilgrim ships to sail from India to Saudi Arabia, because of a risk of the ships being attacked.
- Ibn Saud's requests in 1944 for the British Government to send to Saudi Arabia financial and military advisers, preferably Sunni Moslems [Muslims].
- The proposed appointment of Ibn Saud's requested financial adviser, which is delayed and eventually abandoned, following the United States' suggestion that the position be given to a United States adviser, because of the United States' 'preponderant interest' in the Saudi economy.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (338 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 339; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 262-286; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.' [209r] (418/680), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2163, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100046518048.0x000015> [accessed 26 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2163
- Title
- Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:36v, 39r:57v, 59r:110v, 113r:182v, 184r:189v, 191r:310r, 311v:339v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence