Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1931, Volume II

890f.01/29a

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Dawes)

Washington, February 10, 1931.

No. 666

Sir: For some time the Department has had under consideration the advisability of extending the formal recognition of this Government to the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd and its Dependencies. Upon the receipt of the present instruction it is desired that you take the steps set forth below with a view toward assisting the Department in arriving at a final conclusion in this matter. In order that you may be acquainted with the background of the question, there are enclosed several pertinent documents which you are requested to study carefully. These documents are the following:

(1). Note of September 29, 1928, to the Secretary of State from the Foreign Office at Mecca.²

(2). Department’s instruction No. 24 of January 7, 1929, to the American Minister at Cairo.³

(3). Despatch No. 315 of January 11, 1930, from the American Legation at Cairo.⁴

(4). Department’s instruction No. 100 of February 28, 1930, to the American Minister at Cairo.⁵

From a perusal of these documents you will observe that the question of the recognition of the Hejaz and Nejd and its Dependencies was first brought to the attention of the Secretary of State by a formal note dated September 29, 1928, from the Acting Director of Foreign Affairs at Mecca. In replying to this communication, through the American Legation at Cairo, the Department directed the Legation, informally and orally, to state that the question of recognition was one to which the Secretary of State found it impracticable to reply at that time, but that the Secretary felt confident that at the appropriate time the question would receive the sympathetic consideration which it deserved.

On several occasions subsequently the Legation at Cairo has had this matter brought to its attention either by the Hejazi Agent at Cairo or by Mr. H. St. John Philby, a British subject residing at Jeddah who is particularly close to the Government of King Ibn Saud. In his despatch No. 315 of January 11, 1930, the American Minister at Cairo, after referring to these informal communications with the Hejazi Agent and with Mr. Philby, expressed the opinion that the time had come when favorable action should be taken upon the formal request which the Hejazi Government had made for recognition. To this communication the Department replied that it was inclined to the view that if, and when, recognition is extended to the Government of King Ibn Saud, it should be extended simultaneously to the Government of the Imam of Yemen. At the same time it was pointed out that the Department did not contemplate that it would be in a position to give further consideration to this question until it had determined the character of American representation in Iraq, and that a decision in the latter question must await the ratification of the tripartite convention signed at London on January 9, 1930, between the United States, Great Britain and Iraq.⁶

The Department has recently been advised by the American Consul at Baghdad that the Iraqi Parliament has passed a bill authorizing the King to ratify the above mentioned convention. It is therefore probable that the ratifications of the convention will be exchanged at London at an early date.⁷ The question of the character of American representation in Iraq is now under consideration, and for your confidential information it may be stated that the Department is contemplating raising the rank of its representation in Baghdad to that of a legation and appointing the present consul,⁸ for the time being at least, as chargé d’affaires.

The point has been reached therefore where it is possible to give consideration to the matter of extending recognition to the Government of the Hejaz and Nejd and its Dependencies and to the Government of the Imam of Yemen. After careful consideration the Department has come to the conclusion that the degree of political development in the Yemen and the nature of the Imam’s relations with neighboring States as well as the extent of American trade in the country are not such as to make it advisable for the United States to extend recognition to the Government of the Imam at this time. There appears to be no reason, however, why this Government should not recognize the Government of King Ibn Saud, provided that it is possible to obtain certain assurances from that Government.

It so happens that the present Hejazi Minister in London, Shaikh Hafez Wahba, was present at the interview in Cairo at which the First Secretary of the American Legation in that city conveyed to the Hejazi Agent the message contained in the Department’s instruction No. 24 of January 7, 1929, to the American Legation at Cairo. It is believed that because of his familiarity with the question, gained partly at the above mentioned interview and partly elsewhere, Shaikh Hafez Wahba is the logical person with whom to carry on present negotiations.

Upon the receipt of the present instruction, and after a study of the accompanying documents, it is desired that a member of the Embassy staff seek an early interview with the Hejazi Minister in London. At this interview the American representative should state that he is calling under instructions from his Government to inform the Hejazi Minister that the Government of the United States is now in a position to give favorable and sympathetic consideration to the request for the recognition of the Hejaz and Nejd and its Dependencies which was contained in the note addressed on September 29, 1928, to the Secretary of State by the Acting Director for Foreign Affairs at Mecca. He should add that before taking further steps in the matter the American Government would be interested to learn whether the Government of His Majesty King Ibn Saud would be prepared to enter into a treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation providing for unconditional most-favored-nation treatment. At the same time this Government would be glad to receive information with respect to the provisions of the Hejazi and Nejdi laws governing the administration of justice in civil, commercial, criminal and personal status cases in which foreigners are involved. The American representative should express the hope that the Hejazi Minister will be good enough to communicate the foregoing to his Government at Mecca with the request that any reply which that Government may wish to make be communicated through the Minister to your Embassy.

The Department also desires that you request the appropriate authorities of the Foreign Office to be good enough to furnish you with information with regard to the administration of justice in the Hejaz and Nejd with special reference to civil, criminal, commercial and personal status cases in which British subjects are involved. You may assure the Foreign Office that any information which it may see fit to furnish on this subject will be considered by the Department as strictly confidential. You may at the same time state, for the confidential information of the Foreign Office, that this Government now has under consideration the advisability of extending recognition to the Government of King Ibn Saud.

The Department will look forward to receiving a report of the conversations in which you discuss the above matters with the Hejazi Minister and with the Foreign Office.

Very truly yours,

Henry L. Stimson

2. Ibid., p. 281.
3. Ibid.
4. Not printed.
5. Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. iii, p. 283.
6. Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. iii, p. 291.
7. This took place February 24, 1931.
8. Alexander K. Sloan.