Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎102r] (203/290)

[1569] B
/-m/ cnq,
[This Dociiment is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
Printed for the Foreign Office. December 1919.
SECRET.
[I.D.C.E., 33rd Minutes.]
FOREIGN OFFICE.
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL CONFERENCE ON MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS.
Minutes of a Meeting held at the Foreign Office on Monday t November 24, 1919,
at 5*30 p.m.
Present:
The Right Hon. the Earl Curzon of Kedleston, K.G., G.C.S.L, G.C.I.E.
(in the Chair).
Sir Arthur Hirtzel, K.C.B., Under
secretary of State, 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. .
Mr. C. C. Garbett, 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. .
Lieutenant-Colonel W. V. Nugent, C.B.E.,
D.S.O., War Office.
Captain C. P. R. Coode, D.S.O., Director
OperationsDivision(Foreign), Admiralty,
Major H. W. Younc
Mr. S. Armitage Smith, C.B., Treasury.
Mr. G. J. Kidston, C.B., Foreign Office.
Colonel C. E. Wilson, C.M.G.
Colonel K. Cornwallis, C.B.E., D.S.O.
Mr. H. St. J. B. Philby, C.I.E.
, D.S.O. (Secretary).
Relations between
King Hussein and
Ibn Saud.
The Chairman said the Conference had once more met to
discuss the vexed question of Khurma. The last meeting on this
subject had been held on the 17th June. The position at that time
had been acute ; Mr. Philby had been present and had stated with
great force the case for Ibn Saud. The danger of a further advance
by the Akhwan had been so pressing that the Conference had
thought it desirable to enter into communication with both parties.
Mr. Philby had been despatched from London by air, but had found
on his arrival at Cairo that the situation had become easier, and that
Ibn Saud had withdrawn, having obtained what he wanted for the
moment, the ownership of Khurma and Turaba.
The Conference had now the advantage of the presence of
Colonel Wilson of Jeddah, who would present the case from King
Hussein’s point of view. The position now was that the Akhwan,
with or without the authority of Ibn Saud, were in possession of
Khurma and Turaba.
At the last meeting, the Conference had come to the conclusion
that while the ownership of Khurma was in dispute the ownership
of Turaba was not. The arrangement had been that Ibn Saud