192
[fol. 2]
Shaikhs are submitting, and the reasons which impel the British Government toshow themselves as appearing to acknowledge or accept them. Whence did Kuwaitreceive the rights which she claims on various islands and shoals and what are thelegal, and the real, foundations on which she relies in that matter? The same maybe said of the claims of the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi on regions which belong toBedawin who have been, for a long time, subject to the rule of the Saoud family,and have been paying Zakat to their representatives continuously.
3. As for the accusation which the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi makes against IbnMansour, the Government of His Majesty the King regret to receive from theShaikh of Abu Dhabi these claims which are contrary to the truth. The collectorsof Zakat have not trespassed on places and regions in which they have collectedZakat and still do so, from the Bedawin, since the occupation of Hasa by HisMajesty the King. Nothing has happened to change the situation since that time,except one thing which the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi did: and that was his attempt topersuade the Manasir to refrain from paying Zakat to the representative of theSaudi Arabian Government, and to interfere in their internal affairs in a mannerquite without precedent, so that it compelled the aforesaid Bedawin to inform himclearly that they were the subjects of His Majesty since his capture of Hasa, thatthey were obedient to his orders, and were carrying on in the way they had beenused to do for dozens of years. Ibn Mansour did not take any action which he hadnot been doing for a long time. It is not hidden from the honourable Embassy thatthe Manasir are subjects of His Majesty, and so acknowledged by him, and theShaikh of Abu Dhabi has no right to intervention in their affairs, nor of interferingwith the officials of the Government of His Majesty the King while they areexecuting their duties in respect of our subjects.
4. It is quite natural that verbal disputes should arise and arguments aboutthe status of local officials, and the Saudi Arabian Government see no wayof curing that state of affairs except by clarifying the matter and establishing thingsin a definite and well-known way: it is for that reason that we urge the friendlyBritish Government to take that course and to select persons who will examine thequestions which are outstanding, in the places concerned, in a practical andrealistic way, based on the execution of justice and equity: and the Saudi ArabianGovernment await the answer of the British Government in that matter, and hopethat it will arrive before much longer.
5. As for the perpetuation of the existing state of affairs in the way it wasbefore the arrival of the last claims, the Saudi Arabian Government agree with thatwith due regard to their rights, and accept it: in fact they proposed it previously.
6. Finally, the Saudi Arabian Government hope and believe that the BritishGovernment will be in a position to forward a proposal and fix a time, as soon aspossible, for a meeting of a joint technical committee.
The Ministry take the opportunity to express their highest respect.
(Seal)
fol.
