"ملف 61/14 VI (D 50) العلاقات بين نجد والعراق" [و‎‎٣‎٦‎٦] (٨٣٠/٧٥٨)

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and v/ould never be denied tiie righ.'t whicli was a question of
life and aeath for them. ^Then it was pointed out by Sir
Percy Cox that this claim was a ridiculous one and could'nt
be discussed^ Bin Saud gave in over the T)hafir ; and
adopted the more reasonable line that the line of tribal
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wells should form the boundary, as everyone was aware of
these, and each tribe from the days of Abraham knew exactly
which was its well and which was not. That is to say he
advocated that the Southern^most wells claimed by the Anaze,
Dhafir and Kuwait tribes should form the boundary, while any
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wells known to be common property (such existed between
Anaze and Dhafir, and between Dhafir and Nejd tribes) were
to be declared neutral.
When asked how the claims to these wells were to be
pioved ( -bin ^aud retorted that the Desert ^vorld knew them as
clearly as the light of day, and moreover tribal "wosems" or
marks, existed on every one of them, and in the unli£k41y
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event of a dispute arising in the matter, the " Ahl el Khibra "
or wise men Y /ith knowledge, could put the matter right. In
any case. Bin Saud maintained the right of Nejd tribes to go
up to the Euphrates to make their annual purchases.
The Iraq representative Subhi Beg^when asked his views,
on a proper frontier declared for a £ijke at least 200 miles
South of the Euphrates, and insisted that Iraq would accept
nothing else#
Sir Percy Cox attempted the"via Media" but could not get
Bin Saud to budge an inch from his "tribal well" idea*
Eventually at a final meeting at which only Sir Percy
Cox, Bin Saud, Major More and myself were presen^Sir Percy
Cox lost his temper at whioh he called the childish attitude
of Bin Saud and we had the astonishing sight, of Bin Saud
being ^Rtold off" like a naughty School Boy by the High
Commissioner. This ended the discussion. Bin Saud almost
broke down and pathetically remarked that Sir Percy Cox was
his father and mother who had made him and raised him to what
ever position he held, and that he v/ould surrender half his
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