Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎193v] (387/802)

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and to render all possible assistance. The lost planes were quickly found and
^audi assistance proved unnecessary. The affair terminated with a polite hope
on the part of Amir Feisal that no one was injured and a perfect deluge of
thanks from His Majesty’s Government, the Government of India, Bagdad and
His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires himself.
k°ut the 24th October trial wireless telegraph communications were
successfully exchanged between Riyadh and Basra. The occasion was officially
noticed in an exchange of congratulatory telegrams between Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. As Said
and sheikh Yusuf Y asin, couched in unusually warm terms, and referring to their
mutual desire for close collaboration, co-operation, &c.
HI -—Relations with Powers outside Arabia.
• (Reference paragraph 236.) Fuad Bev Hamza, after terminating his
visits to London (where he had conversations at the Foreign Office and was
received by the Secretary of State), Paris and Rome, was in Istanbul at the
>eginning of the month, travelling thence to his home in Syria.
254. (Reference paragraph 227.) The question of Legation dispensaries
and cognate questions were the subject of a conversation between Sir Andrew
K\an an< * I u . a( I Be y Hamza in London and of a further note to the Minister for
oieign Affairs by His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires, elucidating certain points
and restating the views of His Majesty’s Government on others. A reply from
Amir Feisal on the 22nd October was uncompromising, and the matter was under
further consideration at the end of the month.
255. As the outcome of further consideration which has recently been
devoted to questions arising out of the Saudi Nationality Law of 1926 (the text
of which is given as an appendix to the Jedda report for January-February 1931),
Mr. Calvert addressed Amir Feisal on the 15th October, urging that the period
of grace of six months, viz., to 5th February, 1935, now allowed to claimants to
foieign nationality in which to prove their status, is insufficient. The oppor
tunity was also taken to acquaint the Saudi Government that, even should British
subjects or British-protected persons be unable to produce documents establishing
their British status, they would not cease to be regarded by British authorities
- , . .- prot ection to these per
they remained on Saudi territory.
256. The Saut-al-Hejaz, early in October, published a short paragraph
obviously reproduced from the Egyptian or Palestine press, in which similar
notices had already appeared, stating that a Japanese mission is reported to
intend paying a visit to this country to select a large number of youno- men
between the ages of 20 and 25 years, of a certain education, with a view to sending
them to Japan to complete their studies. What appears to be an equally lusty
canaid also emanated from Egypt, that the Japanese Government have
appointed a certain Muhammad-al-Saqqaf to be their representative in Saudi
Arabia.
257 Celal Bey, the Turkish Charge and M. Adriaanse, the Dutch Charge
returned to Jedda from leave in Europe on the 14th and 28th October respectively!
IV.— Miscellaneous.
258. 1 he first pilgrim ship to arrive was the steamship Polyphemus,
bringing on the 31st October /32 pilgrims from the Dutch East Indies and
Malaya.
259 1 he Saudi Government, in spite of several reminders, had not at the
end of the month been able to supply the Legation with their official tariff of
dues, &c., for the forthcoming Haj season. The Ministry of Finance, however,
informed His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires categorically'that the official tariff
for 1935, which was in course of being printed as part of the Pilgrimage Guide
published annually in Mecca, was exactly the same as that of last year. British
authorities concerned have been, therefore, notified to that effect.
260. A Swiss lady, Mme. Piguet, arrived from Europe on the 21st, and was
still here at the end of the month. She is on a visit to the Italian Charge
d’Affaires. 5