ملف ١٩٢٦/٨٧ الجزء ٢ "الجزيرة العربية: ابن سعود: العلاقات مع الحكومة البريطانية. مراجعة المعاهدة." [ظ‎‎٥‎٤‎١] (٨٤٠/٧٧٠)

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Economic.
5. Secondly, there are the economic reasons. As my list of move
ments of tribes shows (see Annexure B), the territory comprising the
four Wadis and the northern half of the Wadi Sirhan is the natural
and customary roaming-ground of two of the main tribes concerned,
namely, the Ruwala and the Beni Sakhr. To allow Ibn Sa‘ud to
extend his line further west than is proposed in this memorandum
would deprive these two important tribes of a grazing area which is
vital to their needs and would be, on economic grounds alone, in tf^r
highest degree detrimental.
Political.
6. Thirdly, there are the political reasons. Both the Ruwala and
the Beni Sakhr have hitherto remained untouched by Wahabi pro
paganda, and it is highly desirable to prevent Ibn Sa‘ud from coming
into closer contact with them than need be. An extension of his
frontier westwards would bring his propagandists into permanent
contact with the tribes, which would facilitate the infiltration of
Wahabi ideas. The lesson afforded by the “ conversion ” of large
sections of the Huweitat and the Bani ‘Atiya should not be disre
garded.
C.B.R.’s Summing-up.
7. Lastly, I would draw special attention to the summing-up put
forward by Colonel Cox in his letter of the 9th September, 1925, to
me (see Annexure C), which seems to me to dispose of the question
in all its essential aspects.
G. Antonius,
Secretary to the Mission.