File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎4r] (16/834)

— 410
ARAB ALLIES OF THE TURKS.
In the hope of compromising the Arab Movement and
obtaining some assistance in their own winter operations, the
Turks have been pressing their attentions on two Arab chiefs in
particular, the Emir of Hail (Sand ibn Abdul Aziz er-Rashid)
and Ajeimi Saadun of the Muntefiq. The stage now reached
in the negotiations with these individuals offers several features
of interest and significance. It may be premised that we have
been in a favourable position to follow the negotiations to their
present issue thanks to sure information received from time to
time.
The two Gf.O.C.’s, at Damascus and Medina, were trying all
last spring to get the Emir of Hail to come westwards to their
line of communications, and Fakhri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. even spread reports of
Ibn Rashid’s compliance before at all assured of it. At last, on
August 17, the Emir did appear at Medain Salih with about
1,000 followers including Rashid ibn Leilah and Abdul Hamid,
delegate of the IVth Army. He was received by the Gr.O.C.,
2 nd Composite Force, with all honours in spite of the unfortunate
adventures of his advance party {see pp. 316, 321, 330) and his
recent loss of Teima to the local Anazeh (pp. 330, 342). Whether
the Turks knew also that he had been virtually turned out of
Hail by his own people, is uncertain.
During Ibn Rashid’s stay at Medain Salih his truculent and
insubordinate following gave a good deal of trouble, and both the
local G.O.C. and the Gf.O.C., H.E.F., quickly tired of their guest.
After seeing the quality of his men, Fakhri seems to have
abandoned all thought of committing the defence of Medina to
him. A dispute soon arose over the lavish supplies which
Damascus was sending down for the Emir. Seeing his own men
going short, while Ibn Rashid was piling up far more than his
followers required, and the latter were openly selling their surplus,
the G.O.C., 1 st Composite Force, tried to withhold some of the
consignments and get a committee of distribution appointed. The
Emir, however, promptly complained to Damascus and the
G.O.C. received an emphatic snub. Then a second difficulty
cropped up through a demand of the Emir that bounties, over
and above the 20,000 pounds Turkish which had been handed to
himself, should be given to “ volunteers ” of his following.
This time Damascus supported its Hejaz officers in their
refusal, on the ground that it was for the Emir to pay his own
men, and that, if they, the Turks, once began giving, they would
never be able to stop, since whatever was given to Bedouins was
always considered insufficient. Nor did Damascus care whether
the “ volunteers ” dispersed or not ; and it told Abdul Hamid
Bey so “ sans phrase.” So far from giving any help to his
hosts, the Emir harped only on one theme, the duty of the Turks