Abstract: This file concerns Yemeni-Abyssinian relations. It consists of copies of correspondence received by the Foreign Office from His Majesty's Minister at Addis Ababa (Sidney Barton), which also include copies of the Minister's correspondence with the Political Resident in Aden (George Symes).The correspondence discusses the following:The visit of Sheikh Abd el Wasi' bin Yehia Abd el Wasi' [Shaikh ʿAbd al-Wāsi' ibn Yaḥyá al-Wāsi'ī], an emissary of the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn], to Addis Ababa, in October 1929, regarding the Imam's concern about the treatment of Yemeni residents in Abyssinia.Reports of an Abyssinian (also referred to by the British as Ethiopian) mission to Yemen in May-June 1931, and the beginning of treaty negotiations.Almost all the material in the file falls within the period of 1928-31; the file contains one later item, which is an extract from the
Morning Post, dated 7 October 1935.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 29; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This volume mostly contains copies of Foreign Office correspondence (forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India) relating to the strained relations between Ibn Sa'ud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn] and their respective claims to Najran. The volume concludes with reports on the outbreak of war between the two states and the war's early stages.The correspondence discusses the following:An offer, made to Ibn Sa'ud by King Faisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] of Iraq, to act as a mediator between Ibn Sa'ud and the Imam of Yemen.The Italian Government's refusal to recognise Ibn Sa'ud's annexation of Asir.An alleged oral agreement regarding the frontiers between Saudi Arabia (then the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd) and Yemen, which is believed to have been concluded between Ibn Sa'ud and the Imam of Yemen in 1927.Reports of the occupation of Badr, Najran, by Yemeni troops.Reports of Saudi troops having crossed the Asir-Yemeni frontier.Anglo-Italian correspondence regarding the status of Asir.Reports of Ibn Sa'ud having issued an ultimatum to the Imam of Yemen.Treaty negotiations between Britain and Yemen.Reports of Saudi-Yemeni negotiations.Italian requests for 'projected discussions' with the British in Rome, regarding matters in Arabia.Details of the outbreak of war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.The volume features the following principal correspondents: the Foreign Office; His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires, Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert); the British Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); His Majesty's Ambassador to Italy (Ronald William Graham, succeeded by James Eric Drummond); the Secretary of State for the Colonies [Philip Cunliffe-Lister]; the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd]; King Faisal of Iraq [Fayṣal bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī]; Ibn Sa'ud; the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Also included are extracts from Aden and Kuwait Political Intelligence summaries, and copies of letters from the Political Agent at Kuwait (Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson) to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf [Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle], regarding public opinion in Kuwait on the Saudi-Yemeni dispute.The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last flyleaf with 394; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is present between ff 327-392 and is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers.
Abstract: This file relates to a proposal made by the Political Resident at Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly) that, following the conclusion of treaty negotiations with Yemen, the British Government should seek the consent of the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn] for the reception of a permanent British representative at Sanaa, under the control of the Political Resident.In a letter dated 20 July 1932 and addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies (Philip Cunliffe-Lister), the Political Resident envisages that the post could be filled either by a medical officer or by a political officer.In addition to the Political Resident, the file's other two correspondents are an unnamed Colonial Office correspondent and John Gilbert Laithwaite of the India Office.The file includes a divider (the front cover) which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 8; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file, which consists of copies of Foreign Office and Colonial Office correspondence, concerns relations between France and the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn], and French claims to Sheikh Said [Ra’s Shaykh Sa‘īd].Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:The attitude that should be adopted by the British Government in the event of the French Government according official recognition to the Imam of Yemen.Details of a Treaty of Friendship between France and Yemen, signed on 25 April 1936.French claims to Sheikh Said (which reportedly rest on an agreement made in 1868 with local chiefs, and on a treaty with the Ottoman Government, signed in 1870).British concerns regarding the possibility of an Italian occupation of Sheikh Said.The Imam's decision to import arms for the fortification of Sheikh Said.The principal correspondents are His Majesty's Ambassador in Paris (Ronald Hugh Campbell), His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan), and officials of the Foreign Office and Colonial Office.In addition to correspondence, the file includes the following: a copy (in French) of the aforementioned Treaty of Friendship between France and Yemen (folio 50); a copy of a declaration (also in French) between France and Yemen, regarding Sheikh Said, dated 18 July 1936 (folio 5).The French material in the file consists of the aforementioned treaty and declaration (plus draft copies of the declaration) and several copies of a memorandum addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by the French Ambassador in London.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 72; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file concerns both Egyptian-Hejazi and Egyptian-Yemeni relations.The file consists of copies of Foreign Office correspondence, most of which is between the High Commissioner in Egypt (George Ambrose Lloyd, succeeded by Sir Percy Loraine) and officials of the Foreign Office. The correspondence documents the British Government's misgivings about King Fuad of Egypt's friendly relations with the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn].Matters discussed include the following:King Fuad's decision to despatch a mission to Sanaa, which, according to the High Commissioner, could be interpreted as an anti-British and anti-Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] gesture.King Fuad's refusal to recognise Ibn Saud, reportedly against the wishes of his ministers.The British Government's concerns regarding the possibility of Egypt appointing an Egyptian Consul in Sanaa.Rumours of treaty negotiations between Egypt and Yemen.In addition to correspondence, the file includes the following: a summary by Laurence Barton Grafftey-Smith of a report submitted by Egypt's envoy to Yemen, Hussein Hosny Bey, to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 2 June 1929; extracts from Aden intelligence summaries.Almost all the material in this file dates from 1929; only the last few folios (ff 2-7) date from 1934. The French material in the file consists of one item of correspondence.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 56; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file concerns Anglo-Yemeni relations. Consisting largely of copies of Colonial Office and Foreign Office correspondence, it documents negotiations leading up to the conclusion of the Treaty of Sana'a between Britain and Yemen (signed on 11 February 1934 and ratified on 4 September 1934), and continues to discuss Anglo-Yemeni relations thereafter.Much of the correspondence following the ratification of the treaty relates to the existing frontier between Yemen and the Aden Protectorate; it includes discussion of article three of the Anglo-Yemeni treaty, which refers to the future settlement of the frontier.Related matters that feature in the correspondence include:The appointment in May 1934 of Captain Basil William Seager as Frontier Officer in the Aden Protectorate, as recommended by the Political Resident, Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly).Discussion regarding the extent of Italian influence in Yemen.The Imam of Yemen's [Yaḥyā Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn's] claim to certain districts on the British side of the Yemen-Aden Protectorate frontier.Details of two meetings in London, held in September and October 1937 respectively, between the Imam of Yemen's son, Prince Hussein [al-Ḥusayn Yaḥyā bin Ḥamīd al-Dīn], and George Rendel of the Foreign Office, regarding Anglo-Yemeni relations, with particular reference to article three of the aforementioned treaty.The reported presence of Axis nationals (Italians and Germans) in Yemen in 1942.The file features the following principal correspondents: the Political Resident, Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, and later, Hugh Stonehewer Bird); His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo (Sir Miles Wedderburn Lampson); the British Minister of State, Cairo; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the India Office.In addition to correspondence the file includes the following:Copies of political intelligence summaries from Aden.Copies of the English text of the aforementioned treaty.A certificate of registration for the treaty (in French and English), dated 4 February 1935 and issued by the Secretary General of the League of Nations.Whilst the file contains material ranging in date from 1934 to 1942, the vast majority of the material dates from 1934 to 1935.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 252; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 160-187, and ff 202-208; these numbers are printed, and are not circled.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: This file mainly consists of copies of received Colonial Office correspondence relating to political and domestic affairs in the Yemen.Of particular note are copies of two memoranda, forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies by the Governor of Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly) and written by Captain Basil William Seager, Frontier Officer for the Aden Protectorate, which are dated 14 September 1935 and 30 July 1937 respectively. Matters discussed include Italian interests in the Yemen and the status and health of the Imam [Yaḥyā Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn]. The memoranda also include profiles of political figures and rivals to succeed the Imam.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 1).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 39; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file primarily concerns relations between the Yemen and Germany. The correspondence begins with details of a request received by the German Government from the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyā Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn] for recognition and formal relations.Also discussed is the progress of negotiations for a proposed treaty of friendship and commerce between the German Government and the Imam, as well as a case of mistaken identity, in which a junior Aden police officer is reported to have mistaken the German Minister Dr Prüfer [Curt Max Prüfer] for a German artist named Paul Beer.The file's principal correspondents are the following: His Majesty's Minister at Addis Ababa (Sidney Barton); the Political Resident, Aden (George Stewart Symes); officials of the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 26; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file relates to Italian activities in the Middle East, particularly in the Yemen. The correspondence includes discussion of the following:British policy in the event of the Italians occupying Sheikh Said [Ra’s Shaykh Sa‘īd], or any other part of the Yemen.The Yemen's position in the Italo-Abyssinian conflict [Italo-Ethiopian War].Relations between Ethiopia and the Yemen.Italian activities in the Yemen.British suspicions regarding Italian activities in the Yemen.Future British policy in the Yemen.Internal affairs in the Yemen.Anglo-Italian relations in the Middle East, and the likelihood of Italy violating the Rome Understanding of 1927.Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] view on Italian activity in the region.The visits of Italian destroyers to Kamaran Island in March 1937 and January 1938.British and French concerns that Italy, following its denunciation of the Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, seeks possession of the Island of Doumeira [Dumēra Desēt, Red Sea, also spelled Dumeira in the file], currently under French control.The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard); the Political Resident, Aden (Sir Bernard Rawdon Reilly); the Governor of Aden (Reilly again); the High Commissioner, Cairo (Sir Miles Lampson); His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo (Lampson again); His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires, Alexandria (John Cecil Sterndale Bennett); His Majesty's Ambassador in Paris (Eric Phipps); His Majesty's Ambassador in Rome (Eric Drummond); the British Consul General, Jibuti [Djibouti] (Herbert George Jakins); the British Naval Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station (Vice-Admiral Alexander Robert Maule Ramsay); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Anthony Eden); the Secretary of State for the Colonies (James Henry Thomas, succeeded by William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore); officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the Air Ministry.In addition to correspondence, the file includes the following: copies of extracts from Aden political intelligence summaries; copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, dated 26 November 1935, 14 December 1936, and 8 June 1937 respectively; a copy of a translation of a treaty of friendship and commerce between the Ethiopian and Yemeni governments, which was ratified on 21 September 1935.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 349; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains reports of the Aden Resident (George Stewart Symes, later Bernard Reilly) on the Second, Third and Fourth Lahej Conferences of the Tribal Chiefs of the Aden Protectorate (British Protected Tribes in Southern Arabia); plus copies of the opening and closing conference addresses, and correspondence with the Secretary of State for India regarding British policy.The reports on the Second Conference (ff 50-61) discuss the following: frontier intelligence and protection; tolls and public security on caravan routes; the entertainment of subordinate Chiefs and the education of their sons at Aden; suggestions for the settlement of inter-tribal disputes; border disputes with Yemen, and the military actions of the Imam of Yemen; and King Ibn Sa'ūd's control of the Government of Asir.Two dispatches from the Resident (ff 43-49) regarding the following: the settlement of tribal disputes, and the suggestion that a small council be appointed by the Chiefs for this purposes; Zeidi military demonstrations in the Beihan region, and a proposal to send Political Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Lake to conduct an investigation.The reports on the Third Conference (ff 25-42) discuss the following: the adoption of rules of procedure for the settlement of inter-tribal disputes; treaty discussions with the Imam of Yemen; and a scheme for the medical instruction of selected tribesmen. Translated draft rules of procedure are appended to the correspondence.The reports on the Fourth Conference (ff 2-24) discuss the following: the Anglo-Yemen Treaty (Treaty of San'a) of 1934; and the establishment of a college for the education of the sons of Tribal Chiefs.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained within the file by year. This is found at the end of the correspondence (folio one).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 61; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 52-60; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The file consists of correspondence regarding the supply of arms and ammunition to Ibn Sa'ūd and the Imam of Yemen, in the context of the British policy not to favour either side in their territorial dispute. The principal correspondents are the India Office, the War Office, the Foreign Office, the Admiralty, and the Chief Commissioner of Aden (Bernard Reilly).The file opens with correspondence regarding the policies of HMG and the Government of India, and a confirmation that Ibn Sa'ud had not received arms from Britain since the 1929 Mutair rebellion. The embargo on transporting arms to Yemen is then discussed, as well as the decision that the embargo be lifted in order to maintain British impartiality. Correspondence with the Aden Chief Commissioner concerns the transport of arms, ammunition and troops from Aden to Yemen, and the application of the Indian Arms Act (1878) to Aden waters.The file contains a small quantity of correspondence with Lloyd's of London (insurance brokers) dated 1936, regarding permission to underwrite arms shipments to Hodeidah [Al Hudaydah] and Jeddah [Jiddah].The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 56; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The volume mostly contains copies of Weekly Letters and enclosures from the Political Resident at Aden, which were sent to the India Office for information.The volume consists of two parts: Part 1, dated 26 June 1916 to 19 January 1917, and Part 2, dated 22 December 1916 to 12 December 1918.Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 484; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.