مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [ظ‎‎٣‎١‎٦] (٨٠٢/٦٣٣)

represented as having been a sort of pendant to the despatch by the Amir of Hasa
of a force sent to pursue certain criminals not accounted for by an earlier
expedition of the same kind a year before and to collect information. The first
article reproduces an interesting letter from Mr. Philby to the King asking
permission to take the opportunity afforded by the despatch of the force subject
to the following undertakings :—
(1) No responsibility to attach to the King and his Government, and no claim
to lie against them in the event of Mr. Philby’s death or illness.
(2) All information obtained to be communicated to the Hejazi Government,
to be their property and not to be published without their permission.
(3) The British Government to have no right to claim anything in
consequence of discoveries made by Mr. Philby, and all territory
discovered, as well as information obtained, to be Ibn Saud’s
property.
(4) Mr. Philby and the King’s servants to place his “ flags of victory ’ in all
high places passed by.
(5) All remains discovered and all plans and maps made to be the property
of the Hejazi Government and not to be disposed of without the
King’s authority, and a list of all funds to be submitted to the King,
for such orders as he might choose to issue, on Mr. Philby’s return.
The articles then describe how the punitive expedition going first rounded up
the remaining criminals, “who had their hands and legs cut off,” and how the
mission, i.e., Mr. Philby’s party, continued on its journey via Jabrin and
Maqainama to the alleged site of the legendary city of Ubar.
176. In this connexion it may be mentioned that Mr. Philby went to
England in May to reap a rich harvest of laurels. Before doing so he closed down
for six months the Jedda branch of Sharqieh (Limited), his management of which
has been less brilliant than his undoubtedly fine feat of explorations.
Chapter II .—Frontier Questions.
Transjordan.
Frontier Situation.
177. No raids in the ordinary seilse were complained of by either side during
May and June, excepting tw^o which the Hejazi Government mentioned in a note
of the 14th May (see below) as having occurred in April. These they cited,
admittedly without having full particulars, as examples of the way in which the
Beni Atiya, whom they suspected of the raids, were encouraged by their
acceptance in Transjordan to engage in nefarious enterprise. Peace reigned on
the frontier during the first twenty days of May. There were no meetings
between Captain Glubb and Ibn Zeid. Even the diplomatic atmosphere was clear
until the Legation received on the 15th May the Hejazi note of the previous day.
178. This note was a long and contentious reply to Mr. Hope Gill’s short
one of the 22nd April about the Beni Atiya (see last report, paragraph 123), but
its subsequent importance lay in a passage dealing with an extraneous subject,
the alleged activities of one Hamid-bin-Rifada-al-Awar, who was stated to be
working in Egypt under the instructions of the Amir Abdullah, to be giving
money to fugitive Hejazi tribesmen, and to be sending them to Aqaba in order
that they should return to their homes, there to await future operations. The
Hejazi Government had learnt that the Amir would help these people with money
and troops when necessary, and that there were parties at Aqaba suborned to
prepare for operations directed against the peace of the Hejaz. The note asked
that a decision should be taken regarding the Beni Atiya, as to whether they
belonged to the Hejaz and should be expelled from Transjordan, or vice versa:
that a settlement should be reached with Transjordan on the lines of the agree
ment concluded between Hejaz-Nejd and Iraq; and that an explanation should
be furnished regarding the arrangements made by the Amirate of Transjordan
to provoke disturbance in the Aqaba-Maan area.
179. The Hejazi note presented no urgent appearance. Mr. Hope Gill
answered it at length on the 22nd May, asking the Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs to elucidate many points, including the serious but vague allegations in