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strong and able to protect his neighbours. It looks as though Ibn Sand is now
setting himself to win hegemony.
286. In this connexion, it is worth noting that at the beginning of
September propaganda on behalf of Ibn Sand was being spread in Palestine by
leaders of the Istiqlal party and Syrian Nationalists, with whom both Sheikh
Yussuf Yasin and Fuad Bey Hamza appear to be closely connected.
New Constitution.
287. The Royal edict decreeing the change of title also charged the Council
of Ministers with the task of drawing up a new Constitution to replace that of
1926, and of establishing the succession to the throne. The Under-Secretary for
Foreign Affairs informed His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires on the 15th October
that the drafting of the Constitution would take two years, and that the succession
to the throne would be vested in the King’s eldest son.
Ministry for h'oreiyn A ffairs.
288. The Under-Secretary, who had come to Jedda on the 29th August, and
then received from His Majesty's Minister his own and the Amir FeisaFs Grants
of Dignity in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, had a final inter
view with Sir Andrew Ryan on the 1st September and returned to Taif the same
day. The Amir Feisal came to Jedda on the 23rd September in his capacity as
Viceroy to attend the local celebration of the previous day’s Id at Tauhid—Union
Day (see paragraph 284). He returned the next day but was back again on the
27th September, in the same capacity, to receive the new Italian Minister’s
credentials. The only contact made on foreign affairs was when the Under
secretary visited Jedda from the 13th to the 18th October. His Majesty’s Charge
d’Affaires had some talk with him on the 15th. The Foreign Ministry’s Assistant
Secretary still functions in Jedda as an animated telephone connexion with the
seat of Government. His quality may be judged by the tale that, when asked by
way of polite telephonic overture to business how he is, he is apt to reply
precipitately that he must ask his Government.
Finance.
289. Throughout October a new “ Regulation respecting the Ministry of
Finance " has been given piecemeal to the public in the press and is still appearing
in serial form. It makes dull reading. Of more moment is the chronic
constipation of the Treasury. To shift the metaphor a little further on, the
Treasury would seem to have all the properties of a septic tank if it were not for
the strong suspicion that, not only are the drains defective, but there is also a
lucrative overflow, set very low, into a royal reservoir. While it is said by those
“ in the know " that the tank contains two trapped compartments in the shape
of safes, labelled “ Reserve Fund ” and “ Debts,” built in by the “budget ” of
1931 (see November-December report, paragraph 4), and now filled with liquid
gold, nevertheless officials' salaries are still five months in arrear (except the
Director of Customs, who has managed to get some months ahead), all foreign
creditors have whistled themselves dry (including the Soviets, who started
whistling last), such drafts on Customs as have been accepted by local creditors,
e.g., officials, are being passed in Mecca at 34 per cent, of their face value, the
market rate of the riyal is 18J to the gold £ as against the official rate which is
still 10 (thus involving the original holders of drafts given for gold debt in a final
loss of about 80 per cent.), and, even more noteworthy, the Finance Minister has
had to raise a private loan of £1.100 in order to humour the Amir Feisal and
eke out his £200 deposit for a new Isotto-Fraschini, delivered strictly for cash
against documents. There was no apparent difficulty, however, in producing
£1.500 similarly required for the King's Isotto. Nor is it thought that the Finance
Minister fails to draw the 12,000 rivals or some £675 a month, to which he is
stated on good authority to be entitled from the privy purse, or reservoir. All of
which goes to show where the money goes and where it does not, how the Finance
Minister is the King’s man and no one else's, but how also he will avoid bad blood
and oblige the Viceroy, if it can be done without tapping the tank. He probably
has as little compunction, however, in keeping the Under-Secretary for Foreign
Affairs short of money as he evidently has in keeping spies to watch him, but