APPENDICES 333 



For 18 months Sayed Ahmed spent a precarious existence in 

 the hinterland of Cyrenaica and, in August, 1918, retired to Con- 

 stantinople by submarine. 



Meanwliile, in 1916, an Anglo-British Mission under General 

 (then Colonel) the Marchese di Vita and Colonel Talbot had ap- 

 proached Sidi Mohammed Idris es Senussi at Tobruk and Zuetina 

 with a view to arranging a modus vivendi in Cyrenaica. 



Sayed Idris had taken no part in his cousin's campaign against 

 Egypt. On the contrary, he threw all his influence as the son of 

 Mahdi into the opposing scale. 



As soon as Sayed Ahmed decided to attack, the younger Sen- 

 ussi retired, with his brother Sayed Rida, to Jedabia, writing to 

 General Maxwell to say that he did not support his cousin's policy. 

 He continued firmly in this course, though when Sayed Ahmed was 

 defeated Mannismann came west with some Turks and Egyptian 

 Coastguards to try and persuade him to continue the war. Sayed 

 Idris refused, and Mannismann was killed on his way to Tripoli, a 

 journey he had undertaken in direct opposition to the Senussi's 

 advice. 



It was thus natural that both Cyrenaica and Italy should turn 

 to the eldest son of the Mahdi for help in the work of re-organisa- 

 tion, necessitated by Sayed Ahmed's disastrous policy. 



A dual agreement was drawn up in 1917 between the British 

 and Italian Governments on the one side and Sayed Mohammed 

 Idris, as the head of the confraternity, on the other, by which it 

 was agreed that: — 



(a) The Italian Government will retain the coast towns, 

 and certain already occupied posts a short distance inland, 

 but will create no new posts. 



(b) Commerce is to be unrestricted between the interior 

 and Benghazi, Tobruk and Derna. 



(c) Courts according to Sharia Law and schools for the 

 education of natives will be built and maintained by the 

 Italians who will also restore zawias and zawia property not 

 still required for military purposes and be responsible for 

 the salaries of sheikhs el zawia appointed by Sidi Idris. 



(d) Material assistance will be rendered to Mohammed 

 Idris by the Italian Government supplying him with arms, 

 ammunition, equipment and food for a limited number of men. 

 For the moment 4,000 is the number fixed. These are to be 



