Page 108 - Arabian Studies (II)

98 Arabian Studies II

other claims. Ba Suhay also had his word to say: lie argued that
Sayyid Hasan had had no authority from the tribes to negotiate any
agreement and hence the agreement in dispute was only a private one
between individuals. The document, continued Ba Suhay, referred to
the IdrlsT Government which had never given its consent, 1 16 On
another occasion, Ba Suhay claimed that Sayyid Mustafa had misled
Sayyid Hasan on the terms they had negotiated. 1 1 7 Sayyid Hasan
similarly argued that his people were dissatisfied with the agreement
and would refuse to acknowledge its validity since he had signed it
‘blindly’, relying on promises made to him by Sayyid Mustafa that
over and above the agreement, the Company was going to supply him
with rifles, ammunition and a 25 per cent royalty. 1 1 8
Wolfson denied that either Cooper or Holmes had made any verbaj
promises over and above the written agreement. Sayyid Mustafa
issued a similar denial from Cairo.119 He wrote that Sayyid Hasan
‘could not but spread a rumour among the tribes to the effect that
the terms that had been signed by Sayyid Hasan in favour of
Craufurd were more in the interest of and better for the country
than the terms given by the Shell Company with whom I agreed to
work. His intention was to deceive the country and thus raise them
to prevent the Company from working. But I had sent to all the
chiefs of tribes a copy of the terms I had obtained from the Shell
Company. I also sent a copy of a letter Sayyid Hasan had sent me in
which he acknowledged that he and Sayyid Ahmad al-Sharlf
al-SanusT had seen the draft of the terms I had made with the
Anglo-Saxon Oil Co., and that they agreed to them because they
were better than the terms of Mr Craufurd which he had cancelled.
.. . When the tribes knew the facts of the case and the intentions of
Sayyid Hasan and his dealings with the Italians they became
apprehensive and showed him disobedience especially as Sayyid
i Hasan did not give them any of the money he had received from the
Anglo-Saxon Oil Co.. . .’l 2 0
The Company refused not only to alter the terms of the agreement
but also to supply rifles, ammunition and loans to increase the
royalty.121 The Colonial Office joined in the debate and instructed
Aden to inform Sayyid Hasan that in the opinion of the British
government his demands were ‘unjustified’.12 2 Various ‘Asms,
unconnected with the Idris! Government, intimated to Wolfson that
Sayyid Hasan was attempting to make some gains for himself, his
family and Ba Suhay. A gift of £1000 would, it was suggested, bring
an end to the difficulties between the IdrlsT and the Company. I bn
Sa‘ud’s delegate let it be known that the cancellation of the
concession would incur ibn Sa‘ud’s ‘extreme displeasure’. 1 2 3