File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎27r] (58/898)

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i • No reaction has yet been noted to the protest addressed by the Heiaz-Neid
fxovernment to the International Health Bureau in Paris regarding the aspersions
cast upon the cleanliness of the last pilgrimage (June report paragraph 25) In
conversation in July with His Majesty’s Minister, the Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs was very bitter against the Alexandria Quarantine Board He was patiently
shown reason, but when he boasted that in matters of health the Hejaz would hold
her head high, he was reminded that it was a mistake bo hold one’s head high until
one bad the feet to stand on.
31. Indian Destitutes.
Largely as a result of the increased tendency of pilgrims to take advantage of
the peaceful conditions in Nejd in order to perform the pilgrimage by the overland
route from India via Persia and Iraq, the number of Indian destitutes at the
conclusion of the pilgrimage was larger than usual. One hundred and nine-three
were shipped home at Government expense in steamship “ Akbar ” on the 23rd July,
110 in steamship “ Alavi ” on the 6th August, and 79 in steamship “ Jehangir ” on
the 29th August—a total of 382 in all.
32. Foiled Rupee Notes.
In July, while spending his leave in Syria, the Indian vice-consul attached to
His Majesty’s Legation came across what he considered to be the clear tracks of the
utterers of and dealers in the forged notes which gave so much concern to pilgrims
during the last season (April report, paragraph 10). After appealing in vain for
official monetary assistance to enable him to buy large quantities of these notes, he
laid, with the financial help of a moneyed Indian merchant friend in Jedda, a trap
in which to catch the miscreants. The friend's untimely departure for India,
however, left him unsupported, and he again appealed to the Legation. The whole
case has been submitted to the Government of India, who may consider it worth while
to follow the scheme through.
VIII.—Slavery .
33. “Matin” Articles.
Twenty cuttings from the Paris “Matin” of the 26th May to the 15th June
were received in July, posted anonymously from Brussels. They contained a series
of articles on the subject of slavery in this part of the world, its origins in Africa,
its traffic across the Red Sea, and its market in Arabia, written by a French
journalist named M. Kessel, who had visited Jedda in the spring. All the points
raised seem to have been already covered by Mr. Bond’s exhaustive memorandum of
the 6th March except for some hard words about the French Governor of Jibuti.
34. Interdepartmental Conference.
The record of an interdepartmental meeting held at the loreign Office to
consider the question of the naval search of vessels for slaves and arms was received
in July. After a close examination of the legal, political and traditional bases, the
conference agreed that, (1) as regards Hejazi and Asiri vessels, the practice of
searching suspicious dhows both on the high seas and in territorial waters should not
be discontinued; that dhows carrying slaves should, as hitherto, be taken to a
British port, but that, in view of the lack of sufficient legal ground, no action should
be taken in the case of arms; that (2) as regards Nejdi vessels, seeing that they were
not engaged in slave-running, which occurred much further south, the best course
would be to refrain as far as possible from searching or supervising theni; and that
(3) as regards Yemeni vessels, there appeared to be no reason for modifying the
present.practice of search and seizure. The Admiralty representatives reserved their
right to raise the question of arms separately.
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