File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎397r] (802/834)

asked the Emir if he would not be sorry to leave the Hejaz.
‘By Allah,’ he said, ‘ it would break my heart to leave these
Bedouin, and if I had a high position in the Hejaz I should never
leave it.’ . . , .
“ After some more conversation I was left with the impressio
that the Emir, if he had a choice, would slightly prefer to be
Emir of the Iraq than King of the Hejaz, although he would be
very glad and gratified to have this latter position.
“ All the opinions were expressed spontaneously by AbdullaU,
it may be with the intention of inducing me to declare something,
but I had nothing to declare.
“ Later I asked him definitely if he really thought an Arab
Kingdom was possible, and he replied, with much emphasis,
‘ Yes—with British support.’ I pointed out that that was
the usual reply of the King’s, and that it was unthinkable an
contrary to all Great Britain’s traditions to force a king on a
people, and to coerce independent states into a confederated
monarchy. The Emir replied that it would only be for a year or
two and then the Kingdom would be accepted willingly anc c e er
fully by all the Arabs. I said that I looked upon it as tutiie to
discuss the possibilities of an Arab Kingdom with such dissen
tients as the Idrisi, the Imam, Ibn Saud, and other powerful
potentates in Arabia. The Emir persisted that it would be easy
with our support, and if we took strong measures against those
objecting to it. I remarked to him that this was just what we
were not prepared to do, and I reminded him hov ea,1 :T 111
Islamic history the Caliphate split as a temporal power, and how
difficult the early Caliphs had found it to keep order m Arabia.
Colonel Vickery, continuing his report, states that he
considers the Ikhwan movement has become dangerous, and
especially so on the frontier between Nejd and the Hejaz. Me
thinks the wail of Nejd about the pilgrimage is somewhat out o±
place when they are committing hostilities on the frontier,
inciting the King against them, and themselves closing the
PllSr The g Kin 0 g a has at present four “ experts ’’ from Syria to advise
him on questions of agriculture, minerals, irrigation etc. Coione
Vickery states that they draw £50 each m gold per month,
although their ignorance is astounding, and proceeds
“ As the King’s ostensible object in visiting his farm was
to discuss agricultural projects, these experts accompanied him.
The geological expert is not likely to forget the little walk the
King took him to a hill about two miles from camp, where he tell