No. 1571
Editorial Note
Despatch 57 from Jidda, August 29, reported that the British had named as their delegate to the Buraimi Arbitration Tribunal Sir Reader William Bullard, British Minister to Saudi Arabia from 1936 to 1939; Amir Turki bin Ataishan had left Buraimi and arrived in Jidda on his way to report to King Saud; and both the British and Saudis were reporting minor infractions of the agreement by the other side. Telegram 85 from Jidda, August 31, informed the Department of State that Yusef Yassin had been named Saudi Arabian member of the Tribunal. It also reported that Yassin said he welcomed the chance to collaborate with his “old friend Reader Bullard”, and suggested that Bullard join him in Saudi Arabia. The British Chargé, however, expressed a preference for a neutral country as the site for the first meeting and Yassin then suggested Bad Nauheim, Germany. Telegram 108 from Jidda, September 9, and despatch 732 from London, September 14, reported that Yassin and Bullard were expected to arrive at Bad Nauheim around September 23. By the end of September, the two members of the Tribunal agreed that of the three remaining members of the group to be chosen, one should be a European and one a Moslem. The question of the fifth arbitrator was not discussed at that time. (Despatch 951 from London, October 5) Despatch 1657 from London, December 8, reported that the three neutral members of the Arbitration Tribunal had all accepted the post. The [Page 2616] chairman was to be Judge Charles de Visscher of Belgium. A British Foreign Office official told the Embassy the arbitration procedure would probably take at least 2 years, although the members of the Tribunal would not be fully occupied with the matter for the whole time. Documentation on this topic is in Department of State file 780.022.