File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎538r] (763/840)

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situation. He said that he would think the matter over and talk to
me about it later, but there was one opinion he wished to express
rather strongly and that was that he felt that, as an independent
ruler, dealings between his Government and that of Great Britain
should be carried out through the medium of the Foreign Office.
i then suggested that it might be useful if he would give me his
views and some idea of his intentions regarding next year’s pilgrim
age. 1 emphasised to him the necessity of reassuring the various
^.Governments concerned on this subject if the pilgrimage were to
attain anything like its former proportions, and 1 pointed out to him
that a thoroughly well-organised and satisfactory pilgrimage would
be one of the best means by which he could show the world at large
that his Government was a good one, which ensured security and
freedom from oppression. The pilgrims when they left the Hejaz
went to all parts of the Moslem world, and their reports as to how
they were treated would have more effect than any newspaper pro
paganda.
Ibn Sa'ud fully agreed and said that it was his firm intention to
conduct the pilgrimage arrangements in a satisfactory manner, and
he thought they would, in any case, be a great improvement on
previous years. He was especially concerned with the question of
sanitation and public health and was very ready to receive any hints
as to measures which might be considered suitable and desirable, so
that he might make adequate preparations by obtaining the services
of a sufficient number of medical men. He was also anxious to
obtain, as soon as possible, the number of pilgrims likely to perform
the pilgrimage next year, so that he might have some basis on
which to formulate his arrangements.
I replied that I felt sure His Majesty’s Government would be
pleased to hear of his good intentions in this respect, and I added
that I would do my best to reassure th(4n as to the measures he was
prepared to take for safety and general security. It would not be
easy, at any rate for some little time, to give any reliable figures as
to the probable number of pilgrims, but any information which
could be obtained would no doubt be furnished to him as early as
possible.
The interview then closed.
Sixtrenth Meeting.
On Sunday, the 1st November, a meeting was held with the usual
attendance, at which the Bahra Agreement,* dealing with frontier
questions between ‘Iraq and Nejd, was duly signed. After signa
ture, I had a brief conversation with Ibn Sa‘ud, during the course of
which I told him that, the Agreement having been satisfactorily
concluded, I hoped that he would speak to me on any matters which
he felt he would like to bring to the notice of His Majesty’s Govern
ment.
His Highness thanked me and said there were one or two ques
tions which he wished to raise and that he would be grateful for an
opportunity of doing so later on in the day.
'Annexure 11.