"ملفات 61/12 و 61/16 (D 80) معاهدة بين بان سعود والحكومة البريطانية" [و‎‎١‎٠] (٤٠٨/٣٠)

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(g)
BRITISH AGENCY,
JEDDAH-
liay 32nd, 19 £5.
Ddur tt tlist,
In th® despatoaes I. am sendiiig about th© various
things Bin Saud told our Indi ?jn ciark I iiava confined
myself to matters ftuioh Oiigbt be of eeriou- interest
to the Foreign Office. de talked ^uoh about wisaxng
to negotiate nith the British Agent at Jeddah and to
oooie to a general agreeikent on all outstanding questions
in axchs*nge, one may suppose, for help of some kind, or
perhaps for a promise of reoognition. He must have known
that hie proposal was impossible for at least two
unanswerable reasons: we oan no more negotiato *fiua nim
than with Ali while the wax's going on, and anyhow I'm
not in a position to negotiate with him at ali, since my
business is with the Hejaa autnorities, and I write nothing
to Bin Saud that they donH sea and approve. But you see
tnat the Italians are not aanging back. The of^er of
the Governor of Eritrea to negotiate - ooiumercxil treaty
is only one m^n festation ^f the grea. activity the
ItFiliaiis are showing in the Red Sea, ^nd if All is driven
out of the Hejaz they*11 be knocking vary loudly at Bin
Siiud 1 s door. They are in a s .rong position, of course,
having no ooaimitments contrary to Bin C-uu-'s interests und
ambitions, Bm Saud professes to be still a part s an of
His Majesty 1 e Governoient, >nd to be prepared to give
British appilo&n^® the first cffsr of all ooncassions -
always in exchange for some consideration. But he cnafes
under the 1915 Treaty, wnich he sejms to think needs
revision
V. A.L•Aallet ^ c^•,
Foreign Office,
LorDcm. s.w.i.
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