Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎118r] (236/802)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
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March 30. 1936.
CONFIDENTIAL.
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Section 1.
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I fi 1704/486/25]
Sir A. Ryan to Mr. Eden.—{Received March 30.)
(No. 66 .) ,
Sir Jedda, March 4. 1936.
I HAVE the honour to submit herewith the Jedda report for February 1936.
2 . Copies have been distributed as in the list in paragraph 41 of the report
for January.
I have, &c.
ANDREW RYAN.
Enclosure.
Jedda Report for February 1936.
I .—Internal Affairs.
41 a. As stated in the last report, Ibn Baud arrived at Koweit on the
30th January. He had an illness on the road thither, but was, according to the
new political agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , in a “ romping ” and jovial mood during his stay. He got
back to Riyadh on or about the 9th February. He left again for Mecca on
the 19th and arrived on the 22nd. Early on the 25th he came to Jedda for the
inside of two days, mainly for the purpose of receiving the credentials of new
Ministers (see below). He received most of the foreign representatives in corpore
on the morning of his arrival and appeared to be in good health and spirits. He
expatiated on the excellence of the rains throughout his northern dominions.
Next day he received various foreign representatives in private audience. These
included Sir Andrew Ryan, who presented to him Mr. Maxwell Darling, an officer
of the Sudan Department of Agriculture, now engaged in locust research under
the auspices of the Economic Advisory Council. His Majesty discoursed about
locusts with great liveliness. He adheres, as a good Moslem, to the traditional
belief that they originate in the interior of a fish, which spews them out on to an
island or islands, whence they fly to the mainland; but he had a good word to
say for modern science.
42. The heir apparent left Riyadh a day after the King and accompanied
him to Jedda. He, too, received the foreign representatives on the 25th February.
It is noteworthy, as a sign of his enhanced position, that he did not hold his
reception at the King’s palace, but independently at the Kandara villa, which is
often used for ceremonies, &c. The Amir Feisal and some of the junior princes
were also in attendance on the King, but none of His Majesty’s brothers
apparently.
43. Fuad Bey Hamza paid few visits to Jedda during the month. Sheikh
Jamil Daud (paragraph 2 of the last report) has taken up his duties at the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
44. No news of importance reached the Legation regarding the situation in
the provinces. The Mecca and Jedda authorities continued to pursue actively
and with some harshness the measures against potential undesirables, which were
mentioned in paragraph 6 of the report for January. Late in February reports
were afloat of the movements in various directions of suspect Yemenis. These
reports and the prospect of a large Yemeni attendance at the pilgrimage (see
paragraph 73) created a good deal of uneasiness among the inhabitants of Mecca.
The gossips also reported the King to be nervous and full of precaution, but there
is no present reason for believing this talk.