March 1948 British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin

Excerpt from General Sir John Bagot Glubb’s book, a Soldier With the Arabs, an interesting story of an interview in London the spring of 1948 between Ernest Bevin, British Foreign Secretary, and Abdullah’s Prime Minister, Taufiq Pasha Abu el Huda.  It throws a curious light on both the British and Abdullah as each was struggling in those bitter final months to salvage something (e.g. Oil) from the Imperial structure which was crashing down around their ears.  Glubb wrote:

“I can to this day almost see Mr. Bevin sitting at his table in that splendid room.  When I had finished my translation thus far, he interrupted Taufiq Pasha’s statement by saying: ‘It seems the obvious thing to do.’”

Source:  46, p.198.