File 450/1922 Pt 1 'Arabia: Nejd-Trans-Jordan dispute: Activities of Ibn Saud's followers; Proposed conference at Koweit' [‎193r] (390/848)

[This Document is the Property of HisrBrttamfeMafestv
’s Government.]
4^ n
EASTERN (Arabia). '
3843
U1923 ,|
[September 28.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 3.
[E 9629/678/91]
No. 1 .
Consul Palmer to the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston.—(Received September 28.)
(No, 166.)
My Ixffd, . HB Damascus, September 12, 1923.
■ I I HAV 1 p to report that Mr. Philby passed through here, and had an
interview witn rozan about Nejd affairs.
I he gave him the letters captured from Ibn Baud’s courier by a party
of the Bern Sakhr—as I reported some weeks ago upon Fozan’s complaint to me
Mr. Philby informed me that some of the letters conveyed the plans for the recent
attack on Kanet-el-Milh, which was organised at Jauf by the writer—Ibn Baud’s
Governor of Jauf and Skaka.
_ It will be noted m the Amman political report for August , that the Emir Abdullah
is m favour of restoring Jauf, &c., to the Boalla, and employing the latter as a sort of
butter between JNejd and Transjordania.
_ I have no right to express other than an “ observer’s ” opinion { but I have no doubt
whatevef that the Boalla are prepared to accept this post provided they^be not likely to
be involved at once h a war with Ibn Baud. Should such be clearly the inevitable
result, the Boalla might not relish accepting so onerous a task, but if there were any
possibility of a few months’ tranquillity for them in Jauf I have not much doubt that
they would welcome the chance of getting back there, and—to use a colloquialism
“ try and dig themselves in.”
Venturing to agree m advance with the Emir Abdullah’s views upon this particular
point, I considered no harm could result from interviews between him and the Emirs
Nouri and Sultan Ibn Nawaf, and I gave them every facility for visiting the Emir
Abdullah.
Sultan Ibn Nawaf tells me that efforts are still being made by the Boalla to unite
an the Anaizeh-—i.e., the Boalla, Amarat, Fedaan, &e*<—in a confederation to resist the
advance of the Wahabis. So far, he declares, this attempt at union has failed; but he
has not abandoned hope completely, and pointed but that if success was eventually
attained the Anaizeh would prove a serious obstacle even to the Wahabis.
He added that he was proceeding in a few days to K^netrel-Milh, to be ready in
case of further Wahabi attacks. This is by the direct request of the Emir Abdullah.
a Hi even ^ s UHH Boalla chiefs now all seem to be on good terms with the Emir
Abdullah, and Nouri was quite recently awarded a Hedjazian decoration.
No doubt the present involved situation—inevitable where Bedouins are concerned—•
will eventually straighten itself out.
The Boalla would not make at all a bad buffer at Jauf. They have no blood feud,
I believe,, with the Sultan of Nejd, and are also on friendly terms with several of the
South Syrian and Transjordanian tribes—such as the Wuld Ali, Beni Sakhr, &c.
The reoccupation by them of Jauf—if this could in any way be effected without a
battle (implicating Transjordania) with Ibn Sand—might possibly prove a useful
temporary solution of Transjordania’s difficulties on her eastern boundaries.
I have, &c.
i \ M E. S. PALMEB.
Note. To prevent any possible chance of misinterpretation, and in view of Sir G.
Clayton s letter No. 306, Confidential, of the 4 th September, addressed to the Secretary
of State for the Colonies—copy of which I have received at this moment—it may be
useful to point out once again that the French authorities in Syria were seriously
perturbed over the recent Wahabi attack on Kariet-el-Milh, that they are afraid that
Ibn Saud s ambition might later on bring him to the gate of Damascus, and that they
approved of the recent interviews of Nouri and Sultan with Emir Abdullah, and gave
them , all facilities for travelling. I did not grant them visas until I had made sure
of this.
C. E. S. P.
[398 ee—3]