Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎162r] (324/802)

[431 aa—1] » 2
3
148. The most important economic event of the month has been the promul
gation of a decree relative to the creation of the single motor transport company
foreshadowed in paragraph 82 of the report for March. The general idea is to
put all commercial transport, but not apparently Government vehicles, into the j
hands of the new concern, which will be divided into two sections, with various
sub-sections each having its own manager. Existing cars are to be valued, and I
shares to the value thereof are to be assigned to the former owners. Details must
be omitted, and the decree is obscure in many respects, e.g., as to how the concern j
is to provide itself with liquid capital, and how running expenses, &c., are to
be financed until it shows a profit. It is also uncertain how, if at all, the new
arrangements will affect Sharqieh’s (Limited) monopoly (paragraph 191 of the
report for last August).
149. On the 7th May two machine guns, mounted on lorries, were observed
in the desert some miles from Jedda, apparently being demonstrated by one or
two Europeans. One of the party is understood to have been a Czechoslovak, but
he left Jedda soon after and there is no evidence of his having done business.
150. On the 13th May Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey and Co., concluded a
further contract on behalf of the Egyptian Shell to supply the Saudi Govern
ment’s requirements of benzine, &c., for another year. It w^as on much the same
lines as that mentioned in paragraph 97 (b) of the report for May 1934.
II .—Frontier Questions and Foreign Relations in Arabia.
151. The Saut-al-Hejaz of the 7th May published without comment a short
from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Yemen to Fuad Bey enclosing
the report of the special commission appointed by the King of the Yemen to
investigate the attempt on Ibn Sand’s life. The commission had been able to
obtain some information regarding the antecedents of the assailants and their
departure for the Hejaz, but admitted their complete inability to throw any
light on their motives or connexions. Their most constructive suggestion was
that, as one of the men had spent two long periods abroad, one in Abyssinia and
the other in some unspecified foreign land, the plot might have been hatched
abroad. “ You know their methods, Watson,’’ one can hear the commissioners
saying to each other about those foreigners, and so say all of us regarding Yemeni
sleuth work.
152. It was reported on the 21st May that a Zaydi Yemeni had been found
in possession of three bombs in Jedda, and to have said that he picked them up
outside the town. The affair does not seem prima facie serious, but it is too soon
to judge.
153. A Saudi party of six armed persons entered Koweit territory on the
6th May, proceeded to certain places where Shammar and other tribesmen were
encamped, and ordered them to move into Nejd. The party had apparently been
sent by or under the authority of the Governor of Hasa. They were rounded up
and taken to Koweit, whence they were allowed to return to Saudi Arabia. In
pursuance of a request from the Sheikh of Koweit to the 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. , and
with the approval of His Majesty’s Government, the Legation addressed to the
Saudi Government on the 19th May a protest couched in firm but courteous
language, non-committal as regards the responsibility of the Governor of Hasa.
The reply of the Saudi Government, very injured and defensive, did not reach
the Legation until the 1st June. One intervening repercussion of the affair will
be dealt with in paragraph 160 below.
154. Sheikh Yusuf Yasin informed Sir Andrew Ryan on the 15th May,
with evident gratification, that the King had received a telegram from the Amir
of Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan inviting the Amir Saud to visit him on his journey to or from
Europe. The King had replied explaining that it was too late to alter the
arrangements for the outward journey, as the prince was just leaving, but that
he would gladly visit Amman on his way back. Four telegrams which passed
between the two rulers were published in the Umm-ul-Qura of the 18th May.
155. The party from Damascus mentioned in paragraph 120 of the last
report arrived in Jedda on their return journey on the 7th May having, it would
appear, reached Medina on or about the 15th April, and Mecca about the
22nd April. They (or some of them, for some are reported from Damascus to
have returned by sea) left a day or two later, intending to explore a shorter and
easier route than that by which they had come.