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' [‎142r] (290/769)

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irentier were to be regarded as definitely fixed and, in view of this
and of the Imperial interests involved, I was unable to consider or
discuss any such proposals. On the other hand, 1 was prepared to
consider measures by which the trade and commercial interests in
that area could be safeguarded, not by any alteration of the frontier
but by the granting of proper facilities to caravans.
Ibn Sa‘ud then argued on these various points at some length, but
the reasons which he produced in support of his demands struck me
not only as inadequate but, for the most part, as disingenuous.
I then closed the interview by expressing my regret that with the
exception ol the two points to which I had agreed to give considera
tion I was unable to make any changes in the position which I had
taken up or in the proposals which I had put forward, both of which
weie the result of mature consideration of the arguments produced
and the facts of the situation. I trusted, therefore, that His High
ness would now consider the matter in the light of my remarks and
would give me an early reply which would enable me to close the
discussions and to proceed to the detailed work of drafting an agree
ment, in order that our stay, which had already assumed undue pro
portions, should be brought to an end as soon as possible.
The meeting then closed at 11.30 a.m.
Twelfth Meeting.
The twelfth meeting took place in the afternoon on the 26th
October, at which the attendance was as usual.
I asked Ibn Sa‘ud if he had reconsidered the question in view of
what had taken place at the meeting in the morning, and informed
him that, on consideration of the arguments which he had brought
forward in regard to the frontier line immediately north of Kaf, I
had decided to meet him by pushing the line slightly further to the
north and making it run from the point of intersection of meridian
39° E. with parallel 32° N. to the point of intersection of meridian
37° E. with parallel 31° 30 / N., from which point it would proceed in
a straight line to the point of intersection on meridian 38° E. and
parallel 30° N., leaving all protruding edges of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan in
Nejd territory. This amendment would secure sufficient pasturage
ground for the inhabitants of Kaf.
Ibn Sa'ud expressed his appreciation of this concession and then
proceeded to enter into a long discussion regarding the northern
frontier, during the course of which he brought forward several argu
ments and hypotheses with a view to emphasising the necessity of
an absolutely free passage in that area between Nejd and Syria.
I informed him in reply that I was quite unable to admit any prin
ciple by which Trans-Jordan and ‘Iraq would be separated from each
other by a strip of territory such as he suggested, but I reiterated
my readiness to consider any proposal he might put forward with a
view to facilitating trade routes between Nejd and Syria across the
strip of Trans-Jordan territory.
In the end it was agreed that his advisers should prepare his
proposals and submit them informally for my examination.
The meeting then closed.