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Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.' [169v] (338/761)
The record is made up of 1 file (379 folios). It was created in 14 Jan 1935-12 Apr 1947. It was written in English and Arabic. 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.
2
Enclosure.
Record of conversations in the course of interviews granted by His Majesty
King Abdul Aziz to Sir Reader Bullard and Mr. Rendel on March 20,
21 and 22, 1937. Sheikh Yusuf Yasin and Sheikh Hafiz Wahba were
present throughout, and the Amir Feisal appeared on two occasions.
Sheikh Hafiz Wahba and Sir Reader Bullard interpreted.
First Interview, March 20.
The King began by laying down the principles which governed his life :
(1) his religion, (2) his determination to keep his name above reproach, and
(3) devotion to his religion and to the interests of his subjects. He was a self-made
man, having started with nothing in the world, and provided that he stuck
to his principles he was prepared to go back to nothing. Times were changing,
the pristine honesty of the world was declining, but he would never pursue a
crooked path. He believed in consulting everyone, but no one could lead him
by the nose. He would always speak to His Majesty’s Government frankly and
sincerely. All sorts of stories were afloat about his subservience to the Italians,
but he could assure His Majesty’s Government that they were nonsense.
Mr. Rendel said how much the King’s frankness was appreciated by members of
the Government in Great Britain, and Sir Reader Bullard said that he was
sure that the King was never suspected by His Majesty’s Government of
subservience to Italy, and that His Majesty’s Government knew that his policy
was directed to what was their object as well as his, viz., the maintenance of
the independence of Saudi Arabia.
2. Ibn Sand said that he was a Moslem first of all, but he believed that of
all the European Powers the one with whom it was to the advantage of the Arabs
everywhere to be on good terms was Great Britain. After some talk on these
lines Sir Reader Bullard took the opportunity to convey the thanks of His
Majesty’s Government for the advice which the King had given to the Mufti
of Jerusalem when the mufti appealed for his help recently (Foreign Office
telegram No. 12 of the 1st March). The King expressed pleasure at this mark
of appreciation of his efforts and repeated what he had said to the mufti (he
had advised him to co-operate with the British in maintaining order and to
await the result of the Royal Commission), and he said that he had also warned
the mufti not to let himself be made an instrument for Italian intrigues. He went
on to say that he wanted the whole £< bundle ” of Arab States to be on good terms
with His Majesty’s Government. He was not thinking of Palestine for the
moment; that question was being considered, and he trusted that a solution
would be found that would be satisfactory to His Majesty’s Government, to the
people of Palestine, and to the Arabs in general. No, he was thinking of danger
which threatened the Arab world in two places, the Yemen, and Iraq.
3. First the \ emen. I he Yemen was in a ferment. The whole country was
against the heir apparent, Ahmad, while the Imam said “yes” to everyone,
but did nothing. When three of the sons of the Imam came on the pilgrimage
recently, Sayyid Husain spoke to the King about the situation in the Yemen
and asked for his advice. If there was a revolt in the Yemen, what would be
the attitude of (1) Ibn baud, and (2) the Italians ? According to Sayyid Husain—
and Ibn baud knew it to oe true—the whole population without exception hated
Ahmad and the Foreign Minister, Raghib, a Turk who is in Italian pay. They
had asked for the removal of Raghib, but he was protected by Ahmad. They
had sent the Imam a written protest (here the King gave us a copy), but without
eflfect. If they were free they would revolt and sweep away both Raghib and
Ahmad, and the Imam too if he opposed this popular movement
4. To this enquiry from Sayyid Husain, Ibn Sand said he had replied that,
as foi himself, he proposed to observe a policy of complete neutrality and
non-intei vention m Temen affairs. He had withdrawn once when he might have
occupied the Yemen, and he did not propose to reverse that policy. If there
should be tiquble in the Yemen, the most he could do would be to consult other
Ai ab countries if asked by both sides to try to make peace, and to see what could
be done to give effect to the request. As to Great Britain and Italy, Ibn Sand
had told Husain about the Rome understanding of 1927, and had said that both
the British and the Italians had assured him that it was their firm desire that
About this item
- Content
This file, like the previous volume (IOR/L/PS/12/2087), concerns relations between the British Government and the Government of Saudi Arabia.
The file largely consists of copies of Foreign Office correspondence, mainly between His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, Sir Reader William Bullard, Hugh Stonehewer Bird, and Stanley R Jordan successively) and officials of the Foreign Office. Other prominent correspondents include the following: the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert, succeeded by Alan Charles Trott); His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis); Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]; Amir Faisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], Minister of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia; officials of the Colonial Office and the War Office.
The correspondence documents the progression of negotiations for a general settlement between the two governments, which would result in the initial prolongation of the validity of the Treaty of Jedda (the treaty signed between Britain and Ibn Saud in 1927, which initially expired in September 1934) for a period of seven years from 1936 (and for another seven years from 1943).
In addition to discussing matters relating to the proposed general settlement (e.g. the eastern and south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia, slavery regulations, arms traffic, and Saudi debts), the correspondence also documents various visits and meetings, including the following:
- The visit of Amir Saud [Āl Sa‘ūd, Sa‘ūd bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, heir apparent of Ibn Saud] to Britain (17 June-1 July 1935), accompanied by Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia.
- Further meetings at the Foreign Office between Fuad Bey Hamza, Hafiz Wahba (Saudi Minister in London), Sir Andrew Ryan, George William Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), and other Foreign Office officials, in July 1935, following on from meetings in September 1934.
- Sir Andrew Ryan's meetings with Ibn Saud in Riyadh in December 1935 and in Jedda in February 1936.
- Four interviews held between Ibn Saud, Sir Reader William Bullard and George William Rendel, in Jedda, during March 1937.
Also discussed are matters relating to the Second World War, including:
- An exchange of letters between Ibn Saud and the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, in early 1939, which principally relate to Ibn Saud's concerns regarding his country's security in the event of the beginning of general hostilities.
- German radio broadcasts in Jedda during the first few weeks of the Second World War and their possible effect on the Jedda population.
- The possibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia formally joining the Allies in the Second World War.
In addition to correspondence the file includes the following: a copy of a programme for Amir Saud's visit to Britain (ff 339-348); exchanges of notes (in English and Arabic) between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Legation at Jedda, confirming the prolongation of the Treaty of Jedda, dated 1936 and 1943 respectively (ff 189-192 and ff 4-5); a sketch map showing air routes over Saudi Arabia and Iraq (f 31v).
Although the material in this file falls inside the date range of 1935-1943, the final document in the file does include an additional date stamp which is marked '12 April 1947'.
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.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (379 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 commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 380; 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.' [169v] (338/761), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2088, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048209024.0x00008d> [accessed 25 November 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2088
- Title
- Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:4r, 5r, 6r:31r, 32r:75v, 77r:77v, 79r:152v, 158r:173v, 175r:180v, 186r:187v, 188v:189r, 190v:191r, 192r:199v, 201r:204v, 206r:266v, 269r:275v, 276v:278v, 280r:286v, 288r:293r, 295r:314r, 316r:380v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence