File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎101r] (199/450)

SECRET.
APPRECIATION OF ATTACHED ARABIAN REPORT No. XIII Series).
. ^ ^' Tinks continue to menace Rabegh, but are not showing signs of a very
u il )lc a ..' a 1 n . c ^‘ ^ ne y appear to have the advantage of aerial reconnaissance, the moral
enect oi which may be considerable when the Turkish machines fly.
Ihe Italian official whom it is proposed the Italian Government should send to
-Port 011 the situation at Jeddah will be a constant cause of anxiety, he will antaonnise
tie Aiabs against the Entente Powers, and be in considerable danger of his life ; it is
suggested that his stay should be as short as possible.
1 he successful completion of the Haj pilgrimage should be well boomed in the
pi ess in all Entente countries, and especially in India; it is su ggested that Cairo should
Abe requesied to issue a full and detailed commu nique cn this subject, and that it should
be suffered to appear in the Indian press.
Attention is drawn to the proclamation of Ali Plaidar, the Turkish pretender
to the fe her hi an odice. It will be observed that he makes much pley with pretended
landings of British in Hejaz; doubtless this is written with the intention of influencing
the local Arabs, but c s these latter are in a position to know the truth little danger
need be apprehended.
The results of our divided system of control on Arabian affairs are made very
clear in the text ©f a telegram from Aden, and also in a phrase taken from a letter
written by Ibn Saud to Sir Percy Cox. Both are here reprinted with certain lines
italicised.
Telegram from Resident, Aden, to Political Department, Simla.
Shaykh Ali, of Birk, has reported through His Majesty’s ship “ Minto ” that on
the 27th September the Turks recaptured Comfida, being assisted by the tribes Hali
and Yebha, which originally petitioned the Sherif. Sir (?) fled, wounded, after a
desperate resistance, and is reported safe with Shaykh Hussain Abdalla, of the Zubeid
tribe. Ali Jifri and other refugees from Comfida are now at Birk. Comfida and district,
including Muhail(?) goz [next word undeeypherable] are held by from 400 to 600 Turks,
with guns and machine-guns. There are now no Idrisi troops near that district, and no
large Sherif forces, and in case of a naval demonstration at Comfida the Turks would
first evacuate that town and then reoccupy it. Comfida requires no food and is
exporting grain, but requires imports of coffee, cloth, and petrol.
The “ Minto ” considers this rep ort reliable. For the present I am regarding
Gom fida as outside my sphere, as it is supposed to be controlled for the time being
bij the Sherif.
Extract from Letter of Lbn Saud to C.P.O., Basra.
As soon as I was certain of the accuracy of the Sherit’s news, and even
before your letter reached me, I had the intention to write to your Honour regarding