Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎351r] (702/802)

of benzine was removed that night, the theft was in reality much greater. It
had been continuing for some time; the official returns of stocks bonded in the
Government warehouse had been systematically falsified. It transpired, further
more. that, in order to cloak the process, the Shell and Standard Oil Companies
agents had been denied access to their stocks for purposes of verification, on the
plea that the storekeeper had gone to Taif and had taken his keys with him.
A Having current supplies in hand they had weakly accepted the plea. They now
found that they had lost £12.000 worth of Shell benzine and £4,000 of Standard
oil. Sharqieh (Limited) awaited Mr. Philby’s return from Riadh—he was shortly
expected. Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey and Co. at once protested to the local
authorities, who in their turn protested complete innocence and ignorance of the
whole affair. His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires therefore used the expedient of
a telegram in plain English to the Minister for Foreign Affairs at Taif, an
effective means in a country where there is no press and the authorities are
consequently sensitive to publicity. An arrangement was forthwith negotiated
by Abdullah Suleiman with the Shell agents, by which he admitted responsibility
and with the financial terms of which the agents were well pleased. The Govern
ment’s guilt thus established, His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires, with the approval
of His Majesty’s Government, registered an official protest and requested a
formal assurance that such high-handed action would not be resorted to again.
fi. The 13th September was also marked by the spectacular collapse of the
Hejaz Air Force. Planes were required at Jizan to overawe both the Imam of
Yemen and the dissidents of Asir. The only remaining British pilot. Mr. Lowe,
had developed ear trouble, therefore he could not fly. A young Syrian
adventurer, recently engaged as a pilot on the strength of his declared ability
to fly a Moth, broke down at the prospect of flying a Wapiti; he was flogged and
jailed, whereupon the French Charge d'Affaires at once became interested. A
Turkish pseudo-mechanic, who also betrayed hesitation, was mauled by the Nejdi
garrison, but escaped into the Turkish Legation, where he was given refuge.
Finally, a German ex-war pilot, who had been keeping a myopic eye on the
machines since the departure of Messrs. Morris and North, was persuaded by
the General Officer Commanding the Hejaz army (accompanied by fifty troops)
to leave his bed, wffiere he lay ill with dysentery, and set out to fly to Jizan.
After a few minutes he was seen to turn back. Above Jedda he shut off his
engine and fainted, and the machine glided on its slots into the lagoon. The
pilot survived; the German consul intervened; and the Hejaz Air Force lay
hors de combat, a position which it has since maintained.
7. The benzine coup and the air force collapse shook the moral of Govern
ment employees and titillated the expectations of the rest. The urban popula
tions of the Hejaz were heartily sick of the Saudi regime. At Medina there
was acute distress, amounting almost to famine conditions. At Mecca people
were beginning to go hungry. In Jedda the populace was in a poor way. while
the landlord and merchant classes were exasperated almost beyond measure by
the extortions of Abdullah Suleiman. But there was neither leader nor the
courage to rebel. It was hoped that the benzine incident would make trouble
for the Saudi authorities, and the belief was naturally fostered that the failure
of the air force was the result of foreign intervention. The silver rival exchange
rapidly fell to 17 to the £. Traffic ceased, since there was no motor fuel;
the mails had to go by donkey. Further advances by the Imam Yahya were
reported and open hostilities were expected within the week. An appreciation
of the general situation made on the 19th September is given in paragraph 65.
8. Certain colleagues were for making joint representations to the Hejazi
Government about the air force personnel, but His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires
declined to co-operate and urged rather the need of bolstering up the confidence
q] the local Government instead of seeming to mob it. He, nevertheless, o- 0 t
into touch with the Senior Naval Officer, Red Sea Sloops, who was lying°at
Port Sudan, and concerted provisional arrangements in case a naval visit were
to become advisable. Communications were the chief concern for the Jedda-'
Port Sudan cable is a decrepit link and the wireless station lies alongside the
barracks. No trouble was anticipated from the Hejazi townsfolk, at best a
craven element, but the Nejdi garrison had to be reckoned with They were-
dissatisfied and underfed. Two days later, indeed, they began to help themselves
to food in the cookshops of the town, and as soon as the Viceroy visited Jedda
they raided his kitchens.
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