File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎521r] (729/840)

for two reasons. In the first place, I was reluctant to enter into a
controversy which must entail contentious arithmetic and delay.
Secondly, I found to my surprise that Taufiq Bey Suwaidi, far from
being- in possession of full information as I had been led to expect,
was not in a position to supply me with more particulars than those
contained in the admittedly incomplete documents which had pre
viously been communicated to me. In view of this, and of the
written statement submitted to me by Taufiq Bey Suwaidi on the
25th October (see Annexure 14), my only practical alternative was
to come to an understanding with Ibn Sa‘ud as to the principles and
the procedure to be adopted. This understanding, after having been
agreed upon by Taufiq Bey Suwaidi and Ibn SaTid’s advisers, was
formally embodied in an interchange of letters (Annexure 14) in
which I proposed and Ibn SaTul accepted that the ‘Uqair Conference
be taken as the starting-point for the liquidation of claims, and that
this liquidation be carried out by the tribunal provided in Article 2 of
the Bahra Agreement, within six months of the ratification of that
Agreement by the ‘Iraq Government.
Other Questions.
Representation at Damascus.
21. At my ninth meeting with the Sultan of Nejd, which was held
on the 22nd October, I referred to the question of the protection of
Nejdi interests in Damascus (vide paragraph 8 of the Colonial Office
letter of the 10th September, 1925*), and asked His Highness to let
me know his real wishes in the matter. Ibn Sa‘ud asked for time
to consult his advisers, and subsequently wrote to me to the effect
that he wished to entrust the duty of protecting Nejdi interests in
Damascus to one of his own subjects. He also asked whether there
would be any objection on the part of His Majesty’s Government to
his entering into direct correspondence with the French authorities
in Syria on this subject. I replied saying that I would transmit his
views to His Majesty’s Government and pointing out that there
appeared to be no necessity for direct correspondence with the
authorities in Syria. I also asked His Highness to await the receipt
of a further communication from His Majesty’s Government. His
letter and my reply are appended in Annexure 15.
Representation in Nejd.
22. I also took a suitable occasion to raise the question of the
channel of communication between Ibn SaTid and His Majesty’s
Government, observing that misunderstandings could best be avoided
by prompt and frank discussion, combined with a full comprehension
of Ibn Sa‘ud’s wishes and point of view. Ibn Sa‘ud replied that he
had not been entirely satisfied with the system that had obtained in
the past, but added that the existing channel through His Britannic \
Majesty’s Consul at Jedda met present requirements, especially as,
being an independent ruler, he considered that the Foreign Office was
the Department of His Majesty’s Government with which he should
be in communication. I detected some reluctance on his part to
discuss the possibility of accepting a British representative at Riadh,
and I did not, therefore, consider it advisable to press the point at
this juncture.
Appendix.