File 1166/1925 'Arabia: Nejd; negotiations with Ibn Saud regarding Iraq-Nejd question and Trans-Jordan boundary; Sir G Clayton's mission; Bahra agreement, 2nd November, 1925' [‎131r] (268/769)

on the other, and that for the purpose of those questions I had definite
powers enabling- me to discuss and draw up final agreements. I
added that I was also prepared to listen to any representations that
he might wish to make on other matters in regard to which he might
wish to bring his views to the notice of His Majesty’s Government.
There had been rumours that I had come with the intention of inter
vening on behalf of His Majesty’s Government in the conflict
between Nejd and the Hejaz, but I wished to take this early oppor
tunity of explaining to His Highness that this was not the case and
that there had been on the part of His Majesty’s Government no
departure from the attitude which they had publicly announced. I
also informed him of my conversation with King Ali on this subject.
At this point Ibn Sa‘ud, who seemed anxious to declare himself on
this question, asked for permission to express his views and his
attitude. In the first place he wished it known that in all his under
takings he was actuated by two motives : the first was that arising
out of the dictates of his religious convictions, with all that they
entailed of obligation to promote the welfare of his people and of
Moslems generally ; the second was his code of honour and upright
conduct, which to him was a real and live principle of action.
Applying these two motives to the present conflict, he argued that
he had been moved to attack the Hejaz largely owing to the general
indignation which the tyranny and extortions of Hussein had pro
voked. He stated with some heat that it was only when Hussein’s
tyranny had reached such a pitch as to result in rendering the
pilgrimage impossible to a great number of Moslems that he made
up his mind to remedy an intolerable situation ; and he acted on
grounds of duty towards his co-religionists. He went on to speak,
without any prompting from me, of the conditions on which he would
accept a solution of the present conflict. These conditions were :
first, that the administration of the Hejaz should be entrusted to
some person or authority who would command the confidence of all
Moslems throughout the world; secondly, that the administration
should be guided by definite-rules to be drawn up and agreed upon
by representatives of the Moslem world; and thirdly, that the
administration should always have in view the establishment of a
reign of justice coupled with all possible facilities for pilgrimage.^)
In reply I contented myself with repeating my previous statement
of the neutrality of His Majesty’s Government and of their regret
that the Holy Places of Islam should have become a source of conflict
and strife. I added a few general remarks of courtesy and compli
ment, and brought the interview to a close by proposing- that we
should begin business on the following morning, and that, provision
ally, we should arrange to hold three interviews a day. I also
suggested that the subject to be taken first should be that of the
frontier between Trans-Jordan and Nejd, to which His Highness
assented. I took my leave at 9.15 p.m.
I 1 ) Note .—It is to be observed that although Ibn Sa’ud declared himself repeatedly
as being anxious for an early liquidation of the present state of affairs yet he at no
time gave any hint of a desire that His Majesty's Government should mediate or
work towards such a settlement.