Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎345r] (690/802)

more than once in danger; but there was no active outbreak or military movement
of note. Information was, however, received from Bahrein that an unusual
withdrawal of horsemen from the Hasa Coast into Nejd had been noticed in
November, and from Mecca to the effect that some 24,000 rifles had been collected
and repaired there and sent to Riadh. The inference drawn was that, while
Ibn Sand was certainly consolidating his position there, it was probably more as a
precautionary measure than with a view to expansion or conquest. That is as
much as can be said of a situation that was unsettled and obscure.
South (A sir).
65. C lashes were reported between Khalid-bin-Luwey and dissidents of the
Beni ^ajran, who are said to have been subdued. On the whole, however, the
southern frontier was quiet, thanks to the conversations reported in
paragraphs 41 and 42, which resulted in the pact of Mount Arwa and a treaty
with the Yemen.
VI. —Naval Matters.
66. No naval visits by British or foreign warships took place during
November or December.
67. On the 5th November His Majesty’s Government communicated to His
Majesty s Charge d Affaires their decision regarding the advisability of the more
frequent visits by His Majesty s ships to ports in the Hejaz and Asir desired by
the Admiralty (July-August report, paragraph 78). It was decided to maintain
for four months the present practice, by which His Majesty’s ships visit none of
these ports except Jedda, and to review the situation at the end of this period
Forged Rupee Notes. VII. Pilgrimage.
68. More reports were received regarding the presence in the Hejaz of
forged Indian currency notes. In one case pilgrims from districts on either side
of the North-M est Frontier of India were said to be in possession of forged notes
believed to have been distributed there by Soviet agents; in another, German
agents were said to be distributing forged notes among pilgrims in the Hejaz.
No confirmation of either story could be obtained, however. In December another
letter was received trom the alleged broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. of forged notes in Syria by the member
of the Legation staff who had tried to entrap him in the previous winter
(January—February report, paragraph 51). The matter was referred to His
Majesty s consul-general at Beirut on the 27th December for his views,.
Nigenan Pilgrim Destitutes.
P n 16th November the Sudan Government replied to His Majestv’s
Charge d Affaires despatch of the 6th October (September—October report,
paragraph 75) regarding the 500 odd Nigerian destitutes whom the Legation was
obliged io repatriate to Africa at the cost of the Nigerian Government. Thev
pointed ont that the majority of these destitutes had probably arrived in the
Hejaz \ ia Eritrea in sanbuqs, for had they come via Suakin they would have had
return tickets and passports, and recent correspondence had clearly shown up the
failure of the Eritrean authorities to implement the articles of the 1926 Sanitary
Convention, which bound them to prevent embarkation by sanbuq from Massawa
In the state of unemployment existing in the Sudan and of economic depression
reported in French V est Africa, they did not feel justified in accepting the
responsibility on behalf of the Government of Nigeria for the repatriation of
these destitutes, which would have the effect of encouraging pilgrims to evade
quarantine measures and use the Massawa route. They suggested that the
Eritrean authorities should be held responsible for their repatriation. A
despatch from his Excellency the Governor-General, dated the 14th November
amplified these points, but envisaged the possibility of some of the destitutes
being absorbed in the Sudan labour market in February 1932. should conditions
still warrant it.
70. It was therefore arranged to examine and classify at the Legation all
Nigerian destitutes then in Jedda and seeking repatriation. This examination
[408 h 3] D 2