File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎128v] (254/450)

Javanese Pilgrims in Mecca.
On the 17th August Sir EL McMahon telegraphed [No. 702] that Colonel Wilson
had reported that there were 1,500 Javanese pilgrims in Mecca, of whom the Sherif
was anxious to get rid. The Foreign Office requested Sir A. Johnstone to inform the
Netherlands Government, and to ascertain whether it wished His Majesty's GovernmeiC
to take action, as there was no Dutch consul in Jeddah. On the 11th September
Sir H. McMahon telegraphed again [No. 771] saying that there were then about 3,500
destitute Java pilgrims in Hejaz, of whom about 2,000 were Dutch subjects. On the
16th September Sir A. Johnstone telegraphed [No. 1143] that the Netherlands
Government had made arrangements during the last three months for the repatriation
of the pilgrims, and as those still in Hejaz had remained of their own accord they did
not desire to avail themselves of the offer of His Majesty’s Government.
1 he Minister of Foreign Affairs told Sir A. Johnstone that the majority of the
Netherlands subjects now in Hejaz were not, properly speaking, Javanese pilgrims but
people who came from different islands of the Indian archipelago and established
themselves in Mecca, or were born there of pilgrims.
Turkish Designs on Red Sea Littoral.
Sir H. McMahon telegraphed on the 17th September [No. 793] that the Sherif had
sent him note-books found on Germans in Hejaz, attacked by Arabs last May. From
these and other sources of information it appears that the Germans had intended to use
Hejaz and Yemen as a basis of operations against us. The German expeditionary force,
which reached Medina last May, had planned to advance by way of Mecca and Comfida
to Sanaa, to threaten Aden, to attempt the destruction of British commerce, and to stir up
trouble on the African coast, in Abyssinia, and in Somaliland. It was the arrival of
this force that compelled the Sherif to’ revolt sooner than he had intended, and by so
doing he saved us from serious trouble. If Germans and Turks regain Hejaz they will
resume these attempts ; and this is a cogent reason for helping the Sherif to the utmost
we can.
Gazetteer of Arabia.
Information has come to hand that Colonel Murphy, of the General Staff at Simla,
is engaged on a gazetteer of Arabia.