Miscellaneous correspondence, reports, maps and other papers concerning the Middle East [‎71v] (143/220)

4
the effect both of dispelling the atmosphere of distrust prevailing in Sharifian
circles and of enabling us to decide if there were any means by which we
could make Ibn Saud more actively useful.”
At the end of the same telegram, while expressing his view that, if more '
military use were to be made of Ibn Saud, “ we must really approach the
subject seriously and lend him an Indian or Egyptian battery,” Sir P. Cox
questioned the value of such an experiment unless it was desired by the
■Egyptian authorities, but suggested that in any case a mixed Mission repre
senting the Commander-in-Chief, the High Commissioner and himself should
visit Najd to “ make proposals in accordance with practical possibilities.”
In communicating the news of the proposed Mission to the King of the
Hijaz the High Commissioner for Egypt “ purposely emphasised the military
character of the Mission and its role of advising Ibn Saud regarding measures
to be taken against the Turks and Ibn Rashid.” At the same time while
noting the “ somewhat uncompromising state of mind ” of King Husain and
deprecating any premature attempt to settle the larger political questions at
issue between him and Ibn Saud he expressed the hope that “ time and the
successful completion of the Mission, resulting, it is hoped, in active aggres
sion against the enemy on the part of Ibn Saud, would prove to the King the
tolly ot his present policy of suspicion and the wisdom of effecting a reconcilia
tion with his nearest powerful neighbour.”
Finally, following upon exhaustive verbal discussions of the Arabian
situation m relation to the proposed work of the Mission, Sir P. Cox summed
Voi J 18 * nst ™ ctl o ns , t° me in a written memorandum, dated the 31st October,
the gist of which is briefly as follows, namely: —
E primary and principal object ” of the Mission is to discuss
fully with Ibn Saud and form an opinion as to whether any,
and, if so, what further action Ibn Saud can usefully take to
further the common cause against the enemy;
lo endeavour to clear the atmosphere pervading Ibn Saud’s
relations with the Sharif and the Shaikh of Kuwait ”;
3. ‘“To find a permanent or temporary solution of the Ajman
question ; J
5.
To discuss with Ibn Saud his recent application for permission to
issue a copper coinage for Najd ” ; and
1 o discuss the question of the permanent appointment of a British
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. for Najd.
In addition to the above matters Sir P. Cox asked me to discuss such
fmoossibiHtvnf restri , etlon , of trade . t0 the exigencies of the war; the
and the restriction o” pilgrim Sc U ' S ^ HaSa P ° rtS dUrin!? the War;
sion ^ailed^tTiti 1 f le , tter ^ Ild s l lirit °/ T tlle instructions under which the Mis
sion sailed to its task. lor my part I never lost sight of the fact that its
piimary and principal object was to further the common cause against the
enemy by successful action against Ibn Rashid. D
0.
itinerary of the Mission.
proceeded bflan?ch a to?i n the , aft f u001 ; of * ha 29«i October, 1917, the Mission
be^ 1917 iS V B ’’ whe ‘' e a* midnight of the 2nd Novem-
,"' ’ J i Eight days were spent at Basrah collecting supplies and eouip-
number of fhSffofthe^" 01 ? K t0<?k a, j vantaRe . u of the P™*”™ at Zubair of a
, • c i? 1€ds P f the neighbouring desert tribes to make myself acauainted
vith their affairs in a series of personal interviews with them. aC( l ualnted
-ir- ? y E ie morning of the 11th November, all was ready for a start and the
by thrcSsyrfKear Admirll”’ Wakl ’Fb"*" plaCe b 8t its , tUs ' >osal
Forces in the /ersianGulf and Mpsopotam^ 6 ’ t ' B " ™““ a “ d “‘S Naval
PoliHcVAgelf? al ; 1 ; a >i, whCT e we found that the
the further progre SS P of tbe'Misstn to Uqair by dS made arran S ements for
flying life flag* of‘ibn^au^andfcll! tain ^Crorler^of 8 ^!^ 1 ^/^ 1 ^ a ^ow
very kindly placed his.steam cu'tte^^o^X^al t^t^ us sorrrt irth?
of Bahrain 6 " aS U ° Wmd ’ "' e made good P ro 8 ress ‘he mouth of the Straits
bv db^w fr0m ,? ahrain to Fqair normally takes seven or eight hours
ed for the^ertffTlmtd^.oTtr" 5 ' "f",’ St< “ am Cutter .’ we ,lrifted b eealm-
drew alongside the pier at Uqair Inthe 15th KOTembe^lMT “ ^ eTentually
Ami, Fr A mIIp 1 r i, wber e we were received on behalf of Ibn Saud bv the local'
by Abdulla ibn Jiluwi, the Governor of Hasa, we left Hufuf on the laid’