مجموعة ٦/ ١٩ "الجزيرة العربية: (المملكة العربية السعودية) التقرير السنوي لمملكة الحجاز ونجد." [ظ‎‎٥‎٣] (٥٤٠/١٠٧)

settle the matter direct between the frontier authorities of the two Governments
had been made, and reiterating the obvious advantages of this pioceduie
advantages which Fuad Bey, who had apparently not been consulted befoic
the protest was sent in, admitted with emphasis. In only two other cases were
protests received. In one there had, in fact, been a violation of the frontier by
a Transjordan car patrol, owing to the development of a defect in the compass
of the accompanying aeroplane and to the pilot’s ignorance of the country, but
the error had been discovered speedily and the cars withdrawn, and suitable
explanations, apologies and assurances for the future had already been conveyed
through Major Glubb to the Saudi Inspector-General of Frontiers. The other
protest was against the presence of a Transjordan patrol at a place called hharia
which was described as half an hour to the north of lutun. The Transjordan
authorities believe that the point in question is in Transjordan, but did not
wish at the present moment to insist on their point, and the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs were informed by the Legation that the patrol had been withdrawn.
Saudi insistence in this matter is probably attributable to the fact that they had
been allowed to occupy Tutun, as to whose ownership they had been doubtful,
without opposition from Transjordan. But their note was composed in very
reasonable language; it argued that the Transjordan post there was an innovation,
and suggested that no innovations should be permitted pending a settlement of
the frontier question.
36. Three questions of importance are dealt with elsewhere :—
(1) Transjordan Frontier Survey : paragraph 93.
(2) Fear lest the disorders in Palestine might lead to aggression from Saudi
Arabia against Transjordan: paragraph 31.
(3) The revival of Ibn Saud’s claim to Aqaba and Maan and to a corridor
to Syria, in connexion with the recommendation of the Royal Gom-
mission on Palestine that the mandate over Transjordan should be
terminated : paragraph 21.
37. In March the Officer Commanding the Desert Area managed at last to
bring about a meeting with the Saudi Frontier Inspector, Abdul Aziz-bin-Zaid
(paragraph 21 of 1936). It was a satisfactory meeting but for the fact that the
inspector began by presenting a list of twenty-four outstanding cases, ranging
from alleged violations of the frontier by armoured cars to an eleven-year-old
debt for 20 dollars, and including several raid cases ‘ ‘ buried ' ’ by the Bon-
Voisinage Treaty of 1933. However, this list was perhaps compiled to justify
the semi-diplomatic appointment which the inspector holds. As Major Glubb
remarked in this connexion : “ Things are now so amicable on this frontier that
professional diplomats must be hard pressed for an occupation." The Saudi
Government subsequently informed His Majesty’s Minister that they considered
to be still alive two claims which Major Glubb had held at the meeting to have
been “ buried ” in accordance with the Bon-Voisinage Agreement, but the detailed
reply on this subject from Transjordan, which the Legation communicated to the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs in August, was apparently convincing, for nothing
more was heard about the two cases.
38. A troublesome subject which was discussed at the meeting in March,
was the tendency of the Saudi authorities to reopen cases which have been dealt
with by the judicial authorities in Transjordan and been the subject of a final
judgment there, if the parties subsequently find themselves in Saudi Arabia.
An "additional complication is that the legal systems of the two countries are
entirely different. Saudi Arabia uses the Moslem law (Shara’), though the Amirs
often hive arbitrary decisions according to expediency, common sense or greed,
whereas the Transjordan nomads are dealt with by tribal customary law (different
from the Shara’), and non-nomads by civil courts based on the European law.
The only conclusion reached by the negotiators was that an attempt should be
made to secure more frequent consulation, if necessary by wireless.
39 Although relations were very good that does not mean that the Saudi
officials always "acted with complete propriety. Thus the Amir of Tebuk
imprisoned three Beni Ataiya accused of stealing three camels from the Beni Sakhr
in Transjordan, but apparently did nothing towards the recovery of the stolen
animals. On the other hand, Major Glubb has often great difficulty in dealing