ملف ٧٠٥/١٩١٦ الجزء ٢ "انتفاضة عربية: التقارير العربية؛ تقارير السير م. سايكس" [و‎‎٤‎٨] (٤٥٠/٩٣)

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to infoim the President of the Council of those instructions, and requesting that orders
not be sent for the despatch of French artillery to Pabegh.
On the 12 th December Lord Bertie telegraphed [No. 1323] that two new batteries
of mountain guns had been ordered by the French Government to be sent to Suez ; the
material of one of them would be sent by the first steamer leaving for Suez. The
personnel would be Turco (sic) —Arab.
In a second telegram of the same date [No. 1327] he said that the French Govern
ment recapitulated the views it had already expressed, and hoped that His Majesty’s
Government would give the necessary orders for the constitution of a base of resistance
at Rabe & h. A. s soon as the organisation at Rabegh of an infantry corps should make it
possible for French units to intervene without being exposed to useless sacrifice, the
French Government was quite ready to co-operate within the limits it had already laid
down. The French Government had repeated that any delay might, in the opinion of
French experts, have disagreeable consequences, and might result in either the Arabs
being crushed on the first encounter or the Sherif coming to an arrangement with the
Turks —an arrangement of which a rumour was recently current in Mecca.
The Sherif s Title.
The Sirdar telegraphed [No. 62] on the 6 th December, saying that Sir H.
McMahon had informed him that he agreed with his, the Sirdar’s, objection to the title
suggested by the French Government, as its religious significance was too great. Sir
H. McMahon, however, would prefer the shorter title, “ King of Hejaz,” for the reason
that if the longer one were adopted (“ King of Arabs in Hejaz”), the last two words
would in practice be likely to disappear.
On the 7 th December Mr. Chamberlain telegraphed to the Viceroy [P. 5097] asking
his opinion as to the French proposal and mentioning the title preferred by the Sirdar;
the latter, although it would safeguard the other Arab chiefs, would, he suggested,
unless it were accompanied by assurances, cause the Sherif to suspect our good faith in
respect of the limits of the Arab kingdom or confederation already recognised.
The Viceroy replied on the 8 th December. The Indian Government strongly
deprecated the French proposal as calculated to excite serious religious resentment, as
it would connote a definite claim to the Caliphate. “ King of Arabs in Hejaz and its
Dependencies” might meet the case, as this would suggest Arab union, be inoffensive
to other chiefs, would avoid religion, and might satisfy the Sherif as to our good faith
without specific territorial assurances which would be difficult to formulate.
On the 9 th December Sir P. Cox telegraphed [T. 559] that he did not like the
word “ malik ” and suggested the combined temporal and spiritual title, “ Sultan Al
Hejaz liami-al-Haranmain.” “ Hami ” is the word used in translating “ Protector of
the Faith ” in the King’s title; if a purely temporal title should be preferred, “ Amir ”
mio-ht be substituted for “ Hami.” On receipt of this telegram, Sir A. Hirtzel informed
the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that, in the circumstances,
Mr. Chamberlain thought it would be best to adopt Sir H. McMahon’s proposal, <£ King
f* IIo* ??
On the 11 th December the Foreign Office telegraphed [No. 35] to the Sirdar that
His Majesty’s Government had decided after consideration that the most suitable title
would be “ Malik-el-Hejaz ” with the honorific style “ Siyada.” It was understood
unofficially that the French Government would probably concur and send instructions in
that sense to Colonel Bremond.
A Suggested Conference.
On the 8 th December the Foreign Office telegraphed to the Sirdar [No. 33] saying
that it had been suggested that he should meet the Resident at Aden and Sn P. Cox
to discuss the general situation. The Secretary of State considered that the meeting
mio-ht be advantageous and if the Sirdar should agree would try to arrange it lhe
Sirdar replied [No. 67] on the following day that the plan seemed to him an
excellent one and he should await instructions at Khartum. On the 11 th December
the Secretary of State for India telegraphed [P. 5204] to the Viceroy informing him of
the proposed conference and asking him, if he should see no objection, to instruct
gir P. Cox to arrange details with the Sirdar direct.
898—20]
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