مجموعة ٦/ ٢١(٢) "المملكة العربية السعودية: العلاقات مع حكومة بريطانيا: المفوضية السعودية في لندن والوزير البريطاني في جدة. تمديد معاهدة جدة." [و‎‎١‎٧‎١] (٧٦١/٣٤١)

W hereas a friend in need of help looked to a more powerful friend to assist him,
he had had no help from His Majesty’s Government. Look what His Majesty’s
Government had done for Egypt and Iraq ! Those countries might be richer than
Saudi Arabia, but Saudi Arabia could, in his opinion, be more useful than either
to His Majesty’s Government.
11. After expressing great interest in the valuable historical survey which
the King had given, but pointing out that what we had to adopt as a basis was
the facts of to-day, Mr. Kendel suggested that one difficulty was that, whereas
countries like Egypt and Iraq, which contained rich natural resources, could be
developed by commercial enterprises which would earn their own profits, Saudi
Arabia did not at present appear to be economically in that category. If, how
ever, Ibn Saud had any particular kind of help in mind and would specify what
it was, he could be sure that the suggestion would be considered very carefully.
Ibn Saud said that there were all sorts of help that he might mention, but he
would speak first of aviation, to which he attached great importance. He had
sent to His Majesty’s Minister through t£ that man ” (pointing to Sheikh Yusuf
Yasin) a suggestion about the training of Saudis in aviation in Great Britain.
As to the Italians, he swore as a Moslem and an Arab that when the Italian
aeroplanes arrived, he wished that Allah would destroy the machines and the men
in them. Mr. Rendel reminded the King that the failure of other countries to
follow our example in reducing armaments had compelled us to rearm, and that
the expansion of the British air force was employing to the full all our resources
for the manufacture of aeroplanes and the training of men as pilots and
mechanics, and that, while this should tend to deter other nations from disturbing
the peace of the world and should therefore be of advantage to His Majesty, it
made it more difficult than it would otherwise have been to give His Majesty
direct assistance in matters of aviation. Nevertheless, if His Majesty would
make specific suggestions, they would be examined most carefully and
sympathetically.
12. The subject was again referred to at a later meeting the same day.
Mr. Rendel repeated his warning about the peculiar difficulties created by the pre
occupation of His Majesty’s Government with their scheme of rearmament, and
spdke of the necessity for co-ordination of skilled men with suitable machines if
time and money spent on training and equipment were not to be wasted, and of the
possibility that Saudi Arabia, having a very small urban population among which
to find men with a suitable preliminary training in mechanical work, &c., might
find it more difficult than, e.g., Egypt, to produce suitable candidates for aviation
work. Sir Reader Bullard suggested that, whereas it might suit the Italians to
undertake the training of any number of Saudis because of the political effect it
might be expected to have, His Majesty’s Government would be reluctant to
embark on any scheme that would not have a reasonable chance of success. He
also asked the King what His Majesty thought would be the effect upon the
Italians of any close relationship between His Majesty’s Government and Saudi
Arabia in matters of aviation. Was there any reason to think that this might
encourage them to seek to extend their influence elsewhere, e.g., in the Yemen ? It
was true that the Italians had themselves wished to identify themselves closely
with Saudi Arabia in aviation affairs, but how far was that merely a phase of
the war with Ethiopia and their hostility to His Majesty’s Government on that
point? The King said that the Italians still wished to be allowed to develop
Saudi aviation, and implied that he didn’t care what they thought. He added
bitterly that the pilots trained in Italy were no good. At one point in the con
versation the King said that if Iraq shook itself free of Turkish influence he
would not mind having some Iraqis to help in aviation later on.
13. It was arranged that Sheikh Yusuf Yasin should prepare for His
Majesty’s Minister a note of the Saudi requirements in aviation matters. This
note, Ibn Saud was assured, would receive the most careful attention.
Third Interview, March 21.
14. The King said that he wanted to speak about his future in relation to
His Majesty’s Government. He began with a long and rather pointless account
of the negotiations for the Saudi-Iraq Treaty of Friendship and Alliance. In so
far as it had a point it was intended to show the Iraqis as rather slippery
customers. At Riyadh, said the King, Naji-al-Asil suggested to Ibn Saud that