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' [‎131v] (269/769)

First Meeting.
The first formal meeting took place at 9 a.m. on Sunday, the 11th
October, in my reception tent, and was attended by His Highness
Ibn Sa‘ud Sheikh Hafiz Wahba, Sheikh \ usuf \ asm, Mr. Antonius,
1 opened the proceedings by reciting the objects ol my mission,
and in dealing with the question of the 1 rans-Jordan—Nejd frontier,
enumerated the points which His Majesty’s Government regarded as
fixed. I also explained to His Highness that His Majesty’s Govern
ment after careful consideration, had come to a decision that it was
necessary to include Kaf within the territories of Trans-Jordan, i n
spite of the fact that it had been previously intimated by them that
they would be prepared to accept a frontier which left Kaf to Nejd.
Ibn Sa‘ud expressed the deepest concern at this change in the
attitude of His Majesty’s Government in respect of Kaf. He urged
that the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan was indivisible and that as the village of Kaf
and the salt villages of Geraya formed an essential part of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. ,
their occupation by a foreign power would gravely prejudice the
interests not only of the northern part of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. but also of Jauf
itself. He further pointed out that His Majesty’s Government had
on more than one occasion informed him that they were prepared to
accept a line which included Kaf within his dominions and quoted an
official statement received from the British Agent at Bahrein dated
23rd October, 1924, in which the boundary was defined clearly and
in detail. P)
I pointed out that some considerable time had elapsed since the
line to which he alluded had been suggested, and that during the
course of the present year the whole question had been very carefully
considered, with the result that it had now been decided, largely in
the interests of the security of Trans-Jordan from possible attack
from the East, that the retention of Kaf was essential. I further
reminded Ibn Sa‘ud that this change of attitude could hardly beheld
to lack justification in view of the very serious attack which had
been made on Trans-Jordan in August, 1924, an attack which only
the prompt action of British troops prevented from leading to the
gravest consequences.
I then turned to the Trans-Jordan-Hejaz frontier, explaining that,
while it was no part of my mission to discuss that frontier with him,
I was empowered to inform him that His Majesty’s Government had
decided that the line should eventually be drawn from a point on the
Gulf of Akaba situated at some distance south of the town of Akaba,
through a point on the Hejaz Railway south of the station of
Mudawwara, to a point situated approximately at the intersection of
meridian 38° E. with parallel 29° 35' N. I added that His Majesty’s (*)
(*) Note .—Anticipating considerable objection by Ibn Sa'ud to the inclusion of
Kaf in Trans-Jordan and the certainty of his quoting the frontier which was laid
down as a basis for negotiations at the Kuwait Conference, I had intended to point
out that the arrangement then suggested was a three-cornered one designed to
combine the requirements not only of Trans-Jordan and Nejd but also of the Hejaz;
hence, as Khurma and Turaba, which had originally been his quid pro quo for Kaf,
had now passed out of the sphere of consideration the original suggestion was
naturally subject to revision. In view of the letter of the 23rd October, 1924, which
was produced for my inspection, any such argument was nullified.