Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎139r] (277/544)

7
alliance with Persia, had always been told that even an alliance
was not worth the price involved in giving such a guarantee.
He suggested that if Cox were to be instructed to come to
terms with the Persian Government he must stand out for quid pro
quo, e.g., he must insist on Wassmuss and other enemy agents being
got rid of. As regards the South Persia Bifles, we had again and
again said that we wished to get rid of them, and we had also said
that we would agree to French-Swiss or American officers. He
deprecated dealing with these matters piecemeal, and urged the
time had now come to com 1 te the whole business.
The Committee decided—
(a.) To defer the final decision until the Foreign Office had
prepared a paper describing the sequence of events in
respect of our policy in Persia for their consideration.
(b.) That the Foreign Of ice should prepare, for the approval of
the Committee, a draft telegraphic reply to Sir P. Cox
indicating the line he was to take generally and the
assurances which we were prepared to give to Vossugh,
and instructing him m the meanwhile not to commit
himself.
Mr. Shuckburgh stated that information had been received ftom
Mr. Philby, dated the 5th October (E.C.-1892), that Ibn Saud had
made a vigorous attack upon Ibn Rashid, and had reached Hail, but
had failed to take the town or to capture Ibn Rashid. Ibn Saud
had now retired to a place approximately 150 miles from Hail.
Meanwhile hostilities had again broken out at Khurma, where it
would seem that the Sherifian forces were the aggressors and had
been defeated.
Mr. Montagu said that these telegrams threw a new light upon
the situation in the centre of Arabia. Ibn Saud had moved against
Ibn Rashid, and was getting rifles from the Hejaz by leakage. He
therefore recommended that the 1,000 rifles which had been
promised by us to Ibn Saud, and which are known by the latter to
be lying at Koweit, should now be delivered.
Lord Robert Cecil stated that while he was willing that
Ibn Saud should be given the tents for which he was asking, he was
reluctant to furnish him with any more arms.
The Chairman thought that in view of the new situation in
Syria there was no longer the same objection to the issue of the
promised 1,000 rifles.
General Smuts agreed with this view.
Sir Mark Sykes hoped that Ibn Saud would be thanked and
congratulated on his efforts against Ibn Rashid, and requested to
open the caravans across Arabia.
The Committee decided—
(1.) That a congratulatory message should be addressed to
Ibn Saud, accompanied by an explanation that, in the
altered military situation, we no longer required further
active military assistance from him;
(2.J That the 1,000 rifles lying at Koweit should be supplied
to him; 7 7 •
(3.) That the Government of India's proposal to supply him
with tents should be approved;
(4.) That all other proposals to supply him with arms, aero
planes, &c., should be disallowed.
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. to take action accordingly.
Syria:
Proposed Joint
Anglo-French
Declaration.
The Committee had before them a memorandum by Sir Mark
Sykes (E.C.-1944), containing the draft declaration to be issued
jointly by the British and French Governments in order to give