ملف ١٨٥٥\١٩٠٤ الجزء ٨ "الكويت:- موقف زعماء شبه الجزيرة العربية تجاه قبائل الداخلية (نجد إلخ.)" [و‎‎٦‎٧] (٣٣٦/١٣١)

No. 2T«I, dated Bushire, the 16 th (received 24 th) September 1905 .
’om -Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Political Reside* in the Persian Gnlf,
3—Sir Loufs W. Dane, KCIP rqi q ^ „
India in the Foreign Department'? SeCretar y t0 the Government
• . J ust , at , th f time the revvs of .the death of Bin Rashid at the hands of his
nval reached the coast and the situation seemed so kaleidoscopic that I delayed
making any report, to Government until matters had crystallised somewhat.
_. , ^ have now received from Captain Knox a communication from Sheikh
Mubarak to much the > same effect as the foregoing. We have thus been
approached from three directions and I think there can be no doubt that these
representations may be held to have been inspired by Bin Saood personally.
3. Bin Rashid s death at the hands of his rival had an important influence on
the situation, and as die Government of India have been informed, the three
cornered peace of which the possibility was indicated in paragraph 2 of my letter
No. 620 of 18th March has lately taken shape.
Whether rt will endure on its own merits or whether the Turks will at once
set themselves to undo it, it is impossible to prophesy, but seeing that the
present Bin Rashid is a mere youth of 18, it is hardly likely that he will be able
to make any serious stand against Bin Saood for some time to come. The
juncture is consequently a convenient one for an examination and review of the
political situation in Central Arabia and of our attitude towards Bin Saood and
1 Venture to hope that Government will take advantage of it for that purpose.
4. While I believe I am right in thinking that His Majesty’s Government
not to allow themselves to become involved in the tempestuous politics of
Central Arabia. Nevertheless it must be conceded that we have principles and
interests to consider other than the pursuit of the purely negative doctrine of
aloofness above mentioned, and I cannot see that these are in any way served by
our carrying that doctrine to an extreme point and by our treating the predomi
nant Arab element in Nejd with an active neglect which not only places us in an
(2) Foreign Department letter No. 3397-E.B.,
dated 8th October 1904.
* ‘(l) Foreign Department telegram No. 1748-
E. A., dated iQth May 1904.
regard with no favour the idea of the
Turks establishing themselves in Nejd,* I
am at the same time aware that it has
been a recognised principle of their policy