Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎255v] (511/802)

owing to some confusion over the shipping documents, so the money, contained in
seven chests, was carried across to Port Sudan and returned on the 23rd, when it
was safely landed and handed over to the Dutch Bank (Nederlandsche Handel-
Maatschappij N.V.) here. This sum is confidently asserted in certain quarters
here to be a loan, and repayment, it is stated, is to be made gradually against
the eventual royalties received by the Saudi Government. This arrangement, if
correctly stated, would therefore be provided for in the “ special agreement,” tfB
terms of which have not yet been disclosed. Meanwhile, the reports now*
circulating that the money has been sent on direct to the King at Riyadh and is
being used to pay the troops, wear, at least, the air of possibility. The Royal
appetite having been thus pleasantly titillated, Ibn Saud is supposed to have
already asked for the payment of the second instalment of the loan in advance.
170. Mr. K. S. Twitched, whose movements recently have been not
unconnected with the arrival of the Standard Oil Company of California’s loan
to Ibn Saud, left on the 1st August on a mystery excursion in the direction of
Medina on behalf of the Saudi Government. It is believed that he inspected old
gold-mines in the Hejaz, which, it is considered, are by no means “ worked out.”
He returned on the 14th, and at the end of the month was on the point of
departure by car for the Hasa coast. He was keenly anticipating, in the intervals
of seeking new worlds to geologise, repeating a former visit to the wells, palm
groves and other pastoral delights of Hofui. He expected to meet Ibn Saud
at Riyadh
171. News of the National Bank scheme (reference paragraph 139) is
scanty and, what little there is, conflicting. The Egyptian press reports that
the ex-Khedive Abbas has abandoned the project on account of difficulties
encountered in trying to interest London financiers, whose participation, so runs
this report, has been discouraged by the British Government. On the other hand,
it is rumoured here that the Minister of Finance contemplates a visit to London,
when circumstances and Ibn Saud permit, in order to put in hand the printing
of Saudi bank notes.
172. There is nothing further to report on the Jedda-Mecca Railway
scheme, save that status reports on Dr. Jeelani are far from encouraging to those
who wish to see the scheme succeed.
173. On the 26th August the work of several months on the wells and water
supply at Waziriya {vide paragraph 140) was crowned with success, when once
again in their history these wells supplied water to Jedda. The event was
celebrated on the 26th by a ceremonial inauguration, at which local dignitaries,
the Minister of Finance and a crowd of some thousands were present. The water
is brought over the 7 miles from Waziriya and is stored in the reservoir of Idarus
on the skirts of one of the poorer quarters of the town. Mr. Twitched states the
rate of supply is 40 gallons per minute, and that shortly it will be possible
to increase that rate threefold. He estimated present water consumption in
Jedda at 38 gallons per minute, but other authorities here would place
the figure much lower, probably at about 24 gallons per minute. The
Waziriya water is free at the reservoir, and the price paid for it per 4-gallon
kerosene tin (from J to 1 piastre Saudi) is the cost of transport only. It is
therefore proving itself a great boon to the poorer inhabitants of the town who
are able to draw unlimited supplies of water for the mere trouble of carrying it
away. It may thus be expected that Jedda s water consumption will increase,
and that the sales of condenser water (now retailed at 2J piastres Saudi per
kerosene tin) will be adversely affected. The British engineer-in-charge of
the condenser plant is inclined to scout this, however, on the grounds that the
better-to-do will still buy condenser water for drinking purposes, as Waziriya
water, though potable at present, is peculiarly vulnerable to persons of evil intent,
and will, it is probably true, be somewhat suspect, as drinking water, for some
time to come.
174. The Province of Asir has remained outwardly peaceful (vide para
graph 142) in spite of a tense and obscure situation along its southern frontier.
As in last month’s report, the situation will again be dealt with in connexion
with the situation vis-a-vis the Yemen (see paragraphs 177-9 below).
175. Reports of extreme misery in Medina continue to reach the Legation.
This city is the victim of tragic reductions in population and economic
circumstances, and the lot of those who remain, few of whom can be far above
subsistence level, is indeed an unenviable one. |