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' [‎141v] (289/769)

would like to give me his views. The first was m connection with
he frontier which I had proposed to the north of Kaf. He urged
that the frontier ran too close to Kaf and would exclude the grazing
‘ ■ round in the neighbourhood of Kashrashiya and Jebel 1 hug ira
from Neid and thereby deprive the inhabitants ol Kal ol their use.
He asked therefore that the frontier should be moved at least la
miles to the northwards in order to meet this dithculty.
To this I pointed out that throughout our discussions there had
been no question of contesting the grazing rights of tribes who had
been in the habit of moving across the frontier, and those grazing
rights could be safeguarded in this case both on the south of the
proposed frontier as well as on the north. 1 agreed, however to
consider this particular point and see whether 1 could do anything
towards meeting His Highness’ wishes.
The second point he raised was with regard to the southern sector
of the frontier, in which he suggested the creation of a neutral
enclave An area of land belonging to one country and entirely surrounded by land of just one other country. consisting of a quadrilateral enclosed by the f oll ^mg
sides : from the intersection of meridian 37° E. with parallel 31 N. ,
to the intersection of meridian 38° E. and parallel 30° . . , t ien
southwards along meridian 38° E. to the fixed point west o e
Nafud Salient; thence along a straight line due east to meridian
37° E. ; and from there northwards along meridian 37° E. to the
starting point.
He urged that the establishment of this neutral area, the principle
of which had already been adopted in the case of the ‘Iraq frontier,
would tend to the better maintenance of peace and order. Alter
further discussion he withdrew this claim and substituted for it a
proposal that the area in that rectangle should be halved and that
the eastern half should go to Nejd and the other to Trans-Jordan.
On this point I replied that, although unaware of the peculiar
circumstances which had'rendered the formation of an enclave An area of land belonging to one country and entirely surrounded by land of just one other country. on
the ‘Iraq frontier advisable, I was fully acquainted with the condi
tions of the Trans-Jordan frontier and w r as convinced that, far from
improving conditions in that area the admission of a neutral zoi.e
would be liable to render them more unsatisfactory. I added t at
in any case I was quite unable to discuss any movement of t e
southern sector of the frontier which I had suggested to a line
farther to the west, and that I had already informed him at an
early interview that that portion of the frontier must be regarded as
With regard to the northern frontier, Ibn Sa‘ud put forward a
demand for a similar neutral zone to be determined by a triang e
enclosed by the following lines : with the apex at the starting p^'j^t
of the frontier, that is to say, at the intersection of meridian 30° E.
and parallel 32° N., two straight lines were to be drawn, the one
running in a north-westerly direction to some point to be determiner
later on meridian 37° E., the other running in a south-westerly direc
tion to some point also to be agreed upon later on meridian 37° E.
He gave as his reasons for this request trade interests and com
munication with Syria, which were always liable to interference am
raiding from the north.
I replied that I was quite unable to entertain this proposal A^
stated at an early meeting, the limits of the northern portion of t ic