§ 21. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any further information with regard to the recent raids into the territories of the King of Iraq by adherents of Ibn Saud; whether His Majesty's Government or the Government of King Feisal is represented at the Court of Ibn Saud; whether satisfactory explanations of the recent raids have been forthcoming; and whether the payment of the monthly subsidy to Ibn Saud has been suspended or retarded?
Mr. WOODAs to the first part of the question, there has been no further trouble, and recent information tends to show that the attack was perhaps mainly due to a sheikh belonging to one of the border tribes of Iraq, and that in any case the raid was carried out without the approval or even cognisance of Ibn Saud. As to the second part, a representative of the High Commissioner for Iraq has been with Ibn Saud recently, and a representative of Ibn Saud has been in Iraq on two or three occasions to discuss pending questions with the High Commissioner; but neither His Majesty's Government or Ibn Saud has at present a regular arrangement for the appointment of diplomatic representatives, nor is either King Feisal or Ibn Saud represented at the Court of the other. The reply to the fourth part of the question is in the negative.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs not this money paid in arrear, subject to good order being kept amongst these very outlying sheikhs, who seem to be making trouble, and ought not we to stop some of the money as a lesson for the future?
Mr. WOODThe hon. and gallant Member is quite correct in stating that the subsidy is paid in arrear. There would have been, however, no justification for withholding payment to Ibn Saud unless my right hon. Friend had cause to believe that he was responsible for these disturbances. As a matter of fact, the full information, when he received it, and the extremely frank ex- 1144 planation afforded by Ibn Saud, were sufficiently strong to convince him that there was no justification for withholding it.
Sir J. D. REESIf Ibn Saud cannot control the tribes within his nominal territory, what is the use of paying him a subsidy?