File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎538v] (764/840)

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Seventeenth Meeting.
— * r v '“ Anwyeuiuci i naa another infrvrmoi .•
with His Highness, at which, after a lengthy exposition
situation and a nSsurni of past history since'the outbreak of the war*
he concluded by asking me whether I could assure him that anv
views he expressed to me would in fact reach His Maiestv's Govere
ment and receive due consideration. ^ ‘ r n-
/ wcie anxious to take tin"
opportunity of my visit to ascertain his views on any matters which
he wished to bring before them. I assured him that any views which
he expressed to me would be transmitted directly to His Maiestv’s
Government, and that I felt sure that they would receive' full con.
sideration and elicit a reply in due course.
Ibn Sa‘ud expressed his satisfaction at this statement, adding that
he had on various occasions given his views to officers of His
Majesty s Cro\ernment, who had promised to convey them to the
proper authority, but that hitherto he had received no information
as to whether they had been duly considered or not. He then in
formed me that if I would have another meeting with him in the
course of an hour or two he would bring up the questions on which
he desired to speak.
Eighteenth Meeting.
At 8 p.m. on the 1st November I had another meeting with Ibn
Sa‘ud, which he opened by telling me that he wished to raise a
question of considerable importance, which was that of the Treaty
which now existed between himself and His Majesty’s Government.
It had been concluded at a time when the War was in progress and
his own position at that time was a very different one from that which
he occupied to-day. He felt, therefore, that the time had come
when both parties should consider whether that Treaty should be
revised on lines which were more suitable to existing circumstances.
I replied that I saw the force of his argument, but that the exist
ence of a state of hostilities between him and the Hejaz would prob
ably preclude His Majesty’s Government entering into any negotia
tions as regards a new Treaty at present. To take action in this
direction would hardly be in consonance with the declaration of
neutrality which His Majesty’s Government had made; moreover, it
was obvious, I thought, that until the present situation had been
liquidated no good purpose would be served by discussing the ques
tion, and the date when this might be possible was still vague and
uncertain.
Ibn Sa‘ud said he fully realised the position in this respect, but he
wished to bring seriously to the notice of His Majesty’s Government
the question of negotiating a new Treaty whenever the circumstances
rendered it possible to do so, and he hoped that His Majesty’s
Government would take this matter into serious consideration and
give him a reply in due course.
Ibn Sa‘ud then said he had two other questions of lesser importance
to raise and, after considerable circumlocution and a good deal of talk
about the difficulties of post-war conditions, the rise in the cost of