Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎343v] (687/802)

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request to His Majesty’s Government, but that facts and figures would certainly
be required. Fuad Bey was in no position, however, to say what the other
indebtedness was, either by category or in total, but he thought that it would be
possible to liquidate it all in two years. This meagre information was telegraphed
to London.
45. Mr. Hope Gill then reminded Fuad Bey of the benzine debt of £13,000
to Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey and Co., which he insisted could not be deferred,
but must be paid according to the agreement of September. Fuad Bey
took note of this, but promised nothing. As regards the current debt to the
Eastern Telegraph Company, which was always £2,000 or more, he assured
Mr. Hope Gill that all postal and telegraphic receipts would henceforth be
reserved for its liquidation and would not be pooled with the Government’s other
resources. Mr. Hope Gill made a passing reference to the Hejazi half-share of
the costs of the MacUonnell investigation, a matter of only £1,700, and was
promised an early reply (see paragraph 35). He made no reference to the Marconi
debt, which, though mounting up and £5,000 high at the turn of the year, is a
matter on which neither the company nor Mr. Philby, their agent, has yet
approached the Legation. He mentioned, however, the several hundred pounds
owing to a number of British and British-protected chauffeurs in Government
employ (see paragraph 14), but without drawing more than a sardonic reference
to the similar plight of all Government employees in the country.
International.
46. On the 23rd November the Hejaz-Nejd telegraphed to Geneva its
adherence to the proposed armaments truce No decision to accept the invitation
to attend the Disarmament Conference was notified before the end of the year.
France.
47. The treaty with France was at last signed on the 10th November,
together with an agreement covering relations with Syria. The former is the
result of nearly two years’ negotiation; it is understood to follow the lines of the
Treaty of Jedda, but to exclude all mention of the suppression of the slave trade,
that civilised aim to which His Majesty's Government had succeeded in binding
I bn Saud—on paper.
The Netherlands.
48. M. Adriaanse returned to Jedda on the 5th November and presented his
credentials as Charge d’Affaires. He had spent a part of his leave acting as
secretary to the Orientalists’ Conference at Leiden, but he finds the local Arabic
well-nigh unintelligible.
Germany.
49. M. de Haas went on leave in November, leaving a local German merchant
in charge of his consulate.
Soviet Russia.
50. A second consignment of Soviet oil was delivered at Jedda in November
(see paragraph 10).
Turkey.
51. Lutfullah Bey was in November at length able to present his credentials
as Charge d’Affaires. His Legation has since been charged with Afghan
interests.
Persia.
52. Ain-ul-Mulk Habibullah Khan Hoveida once more returned to Jedda,
after six months’ leave of absence, on the 26th December.
United States of America.
53. The prospecting activities of Mr. Crane’s engineer are described in
paragraph 18.