File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎289r] (265/840)

i
Minute Paper.
It will be beet to send the
Government of India’s comments on the revised draft
treaty officially to the Colonial Office and Foreign
Office, though it is a little inconvenient to do so
as the last official letter we have received is that
of the 5th August summoning the meeting of 11th August*
We have not yet received the official minutes of that
meeting•
As regards the Government of India’s
actual comments
Article III. Their desire that a clause should
be added ensiling for Indian pilgrims freedom of
religious observance has been dealt with in
Article IV . The Government of India’s criticisms
of the ” provisoes” seem sound; and it seems curious
now that it was not earlier observed that to maice
recognition of an individual’s national status depend
ent on his possession of papers issued by the Head of
his State, or, in the case of British subjects, on
registration at a Consulate, goes very far, mucn
further than can have been intended, in limiting the
national status of the persons affected by the Treaty.
As ’’provisoes” the last sentence of paragraph 1 and
the last two of paragraph 2 of this Article ra.-.s u be
withdrawn; but if it is desirable, as Sir G.Clayton
has said, to include in the treaty recognition of Ibn
Saud’s right to issue to his subjects papers of
nationality, it would be better not to omit the sentenced
but to retain their substance in an altered form,e.g.
” The lawful possession of papers issued by His
Majesty will be accepted as proof of tne nejdi or
Hejazi status of the bearer”; para.2. might be
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