File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎523r] (733/840)

ANNEXURE 2.
Record of Proceedings.
I arrived at Jedda on the morning of Friday, the 9th October, and
was met on board H.M.S. “ Clematis ” by Mr. S. R. Jordan, the
Acting-Consul. A representative of King Ali, Dr. Muhammad
al-Husaini, came also on board and communicated to the Captain the
tact that King Ah had sent him with greetings to myself. The Cap
tain replied, after previous consultation with me, that I was post
poning interviews until I went ashore.
I landed at 12 noon in company with the Consul and Commander
H. Woodward, D.S.O., and proceeded to the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . The Consul
informed me that he had discouraged King Ali and his entourage
from organising a display for my reception, as they had intended,
on the plea that my mission was not to the Hejaz Government and
that any formal reception would be misinterpreted. With this view
I concurred. I thought it proper, however, to send a message to
King Ali informing him that I proposed to pay him an informal visit
of courtesy. 'I his I did at 5 p.m. I was attended by the Consul
and Mr. G. Antonius and was received by the King in his Palace.
The interview, which lasted rather less than half-an-hour, was in
formal and the conversation consisted merely of an exchange of
greetings, personal reminiscences and small talk. At the conclusion
of the interview, King Ali, wdio was attended by Sheikh Fuad
al-Khatib, expressed a desire to return the visit that same day and,
as he showed a certain insistence, I replied that I would be in readi
ness at 9 p.m. that evening.
During this visit, which also lasted about half-an-hour, I thought
it desirable to seize the opportunity to give King Ali clearly to under
stand that it w r as no part of my visit or mission to intervene in any
way in the Hejaz-Nejd conflict. I reminded him that His Majesty’s
Government had clearly defined their attitude as being one of strict
neutrality, qualified only by the duty of protecting British subjects;
and I added that, although the British Government viewed with
extreme regret the existence of this conflict and the distress that it
was causing among Moslems in general, yet they were unable in the
circumstances to depart in any respect whatsoever from this atti
tude. In answer to a question from the King, I added that my first
concern w^ould be to carry out the object of the mission for which I
had been delegated, but that on the conclusion of that mission and
when I had finally disposed of the matters with which I was charged
I would gladly meet him again and, in an informal and purely
private capacity, hear anything that he might wish to say. I think
that this explicit declaration served a good purpose in clearing up
the situation and contradicting some of the rumours which had been
circulated in connection with my mission. At the same time my
frank statement, which was received by King Ali with a great show
of concurrence, did not appear to impair the cordiality of our per
sonal relations, f 1 )
( T ) Note .—I would observe that King Ali appeared to me to be worried and
dispirited, though constrained by the dictates of courtesy and his own innate good
breeding to assume an air of unconcern and even of gaiety. Moreover he glanced
from time to time somewhat furtively at Sheikh Fuad as though seeking tacitly his
guidance and support.