Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎192v] (385/802)

three days, but less about his stay in Medina itself. This, if not strange, was
disappointing, as his visit to Medina, in some minds, had been associated with the
reported unrest in Teima.
239. The situation in that northern district is as indefinable as ever.
Kumour is still busy but vague, and seems to feed chiefly on press reports from
neighbouring .countries. The Saudi authorities still seem unconcerned.
240. The following items of economic or financial interest may be noted :—
(«) At the end of September the Saudi Government announced their adhesion
to the agreements arrived at at the Tenth International Postal
Conference, held in Cairo last spring.
(b) The Umm-al-Qura of the 20th October announced the establishment, as
from the 15th October, of a fortnightly mail and passenger service by
car between Mecca and Riyadh.
(c) On the 23rd October 6,000 Mauser rifles and three cases of machine guns
were landed at Jedda from a Strick boat. They are said to have been
consigned from Antwerp and imported by Khalid-al-Qarqani for
account of Saudi Government, and are stated to be old and used war-
stock, dating from 1916, worth anything from £2 to £3 a rifle. That
Khalid-al-Qarqani should have imported this material from an
obviously German source gives some weight to reports current that he
has joined in partnership with Haji Qasim (formerly ? Machtig), the
oi-devant clerk (of Balkan origin) of the late German consul here,
Herr de Haas. This partnership is locally said to be making a bid for
that phoenix concession : the Jedda-Mecca Railway.
(d) Mr. Twitched is reported on good authority to have secured his gold
mining concession, and the agreement, it is said, has now been sent to
the King for approval and signature. Mr. Twitched, in the mean
time, is still at Taif.
; {e) Mr. C. D. Cowper, the representative of Lever Brothers, arrived by
Khediviul on the 21st and left by the same boat on the 24th October.
He did not cad on the Legation and is said to have been more energetic
in pushing Lever Brothers’ French products than Sunlight soap.
(/) (Reference paragraph 217 of last month’s report.) Nothing further has
been heard of the Syrian-Venezuelan pearl fishers. They have not
put in an appearance again at Jedda, and it may be presumed are still
at work along the coast.
{g) Preparations for another visit to Jedda by air of Muhammad Talaat
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Harb, the Egyptian Senator and chairman of the directors of
Banque Misr, are being made for early November (see paragraph 254
of the report for November 1933).
241. The Umm-al-Qura in its issues of the 19th and 26th October published
the Saudi Government’s “ Regulations in respect of Landed Property in the
Hejaz.” These are chiefly remarkable for the declaration that the law obtaining
under previous Governments prohibiting foreigners from possessing landed
property will be maintained, that ad foreigners who may have come into
possession of such property must dispose of the same, and that those contravening
these regulations will be liable to certain penalties prescribed, i he question has
been referred by the Legation to His Majesty’s Government.
242. (Reference paragraph 221 of last month’s report.) There have been
further references in the Saudi press during the month to the overland pilgrim
route, which suggests that, while agreement between the Governments of Iraq
and Saudi Arabia has not yet been reached, further progress in negotiations has
been made. A project to bring pilgrims from the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to Mecca is also
reported in the press to have been given the approval of the Saudi authorities.
It may have some connexion with larger inland transport schemes already
mentioned, but of which little fresh has been heard in October.
243. On the 5th October the Umm-al-Qura published official “ Instructions
to Chauffeurs ” partly of a technical nature, which it would probably need special
police to enforce. They will therefore probably be largely observed in the breach.
244. The reformist urge which is manifesting itself this summer in such
various legislation to which paragraphs 153, 194. 195 and 223 in previous
reports, as wed as foregoing paragraphs in this report, bear witness, was again