"ملف 61/11 IX (D 159) مسائل متنوعة خاصة بالحجاز ونجد" [ظ‎‎٤] (٣٩١/١٩)

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among which he mentioned arms. When he was informed that on account of
geographical and other considerations the Saudi Government regarded friendship
with Great Britain as essential, he disclaimed any desire to make any arrange
ment with Saudi Arabia which would conflict with her friendship with His
Majesty's Government, with whom the German Government also desired to be
friends, though they found that their good intentions were not always
reciprocated. Dr. Grobba went out of his way to make what appears to be an
incorrect statement as to the relations between Germany and Italy. He said that
there was no treaty or other arrangement between the two countries except that
which bound each to come to the help of the other, if the other was in danger
of being " crushed.''
8. In a private interview, which I had with Ibn Saud the same day, he
supplemented the information which had been given to me by Yusuf
Yasin. He said that Dr. Grobba informed him that Germany wanted to
see Saudi Arabia strong so that she might be able to maintain her independence
and resist the pressure of His Majesty's Government. It was apparently this
approach which impelled the King to say that friendship with His Majesty's
Government was essential to his country.
9. At the same private interview I mentioned to Ibn Saud the curious
fact that the Dr. Euwaiha (my telegram No. 20, dated the 14th February) who
had come to him as an emissary from Fauzi Qauqji was doctor to the German
Legation in Bagdad. On the occasion of his farewell visit Dr. Grobba had
said, just as he was leaving, that he had been surprised to see Dr. Euwaiha in
Jedda : the man had brought him a letter from Frau Grobba, from Bagdad, but
had now disappeared. The Minister wondered what the man's business could be.
He looked enquiringly at me, but I said with perfect truth that I did not know
Ruwaiha. Dr. Grobba was evidently uneasy. He took unnecessary pains to
explain that the legation employed Dr. Ruwaiha, in spite of the fact that he
was a Syrian, because he had been trained in Germany and because the other
Bagdad doctors were all Jews. I passed this information on to Ibn Saud. who
then told me that, according to Dr. Ruwaiha, the Germans had promised 2 000
rifles to the Iraqi supporters of the Palestine revolt and had sent them 200
which had been duly transmitted to Palestine, but a second consignment had
been seized m the customs by the Iraq Government on information laid by c ' a
follower of the Agha Khan. I said that I believed that some cartridges
had been seized in the custom-house in Bagdad, but I did not remember a seizure
oi rifles.
a } 0 \ I ^ 1S tl:iat tlie establishment of diplomatic relations between
baudi Arabia and Germany will lead to the supplv of German munitions of war
to the Saudi Government. The German Minister was asked whether Germanv
could supply arms at low prices and easy instalments, and he promised to trv
o arrange this. According to Sheikh Yusuf Yasin, the conversation referred
countr auser rifles and ammunition of the type already in use in this
T nf/w^Po 1 "" , Grobb ,f left Jedda for Egypt on the 18th February by sea. The
u /V • ? a ' i i S rt cou ^ not spare an aeroplane to come to Jedda for him
hfmust 1 bfbac e kin 0 Ra y H t0 rt Bagda 'i f. rom . E SyP t - He has always declared that
ne must be back m Bagdad m good time m order to be present when the Ira m a n
He'^Apparent passes through Iraq on his way to Egypt for the Royal marriage.
of the Tprman P 0 lcatlon that there is to be a permanent representative
deoarture T)r PrvSih 6 ^ Arabia - In the lett ^ announcmg his
aepartuie Dr Grobba gives the German Legation, Bagdad as the address of
o e w m ^ fr e K r t0 Saudi Arabia - Dr ,5robba tallS as tlwugh he prtroosed
to visit Saudi Arabia every year, though not necessarilv Jedda He 3 ™
rK~™"i~ u .'L h ,f TSmTn.: " "ir sir's" 1,5 "° ld 80
there^is ut'uSd S'tseribeTim Embassy at Bagdad
colleagues and to the Arab officials but /f r " a e hl ™ se!f very agreeable to his
the object of the German Government in a nn" S t generally concluded that
Arabia at this juncture is mainly anti Briti^i Dr^r a /, e P!' esentat ^ ve to Saudi