File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎137v] (279/898)

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full blooded Neidi one is that the tribe has been completely anmhilated, that their
tull-blooaea iNejoi ^ to be confused with the \iceroy s adviser,
Abdullt ehFad? or his brother Mohammed) had been spared for execution in Mec*a,
but that they had not survived the journey and only their heads were now to be
expected The sceptical Hejazi maintains that the Beni Malek were impregnably
expected, inc & F V oiip V which could be comlortably defended by two mein
rndThaftS punitive faTled. Otherwise wty was the Jle of foj
stuffs controlled in Lith, behind which the tribe had its habitat and where was A
captured 1 booty? But the prospect of the meeting at Riyadh and the unsettled state
Z r f.““”l*t “horet moll prob.Ue that thu Beni Malek were b.trej.J i, , k
Benl 4 All ’Wfth e the 0 continued export of gold to England, to swell presumably the
King’s private banking account, the Saudian real remains very unsteady^ In Mecca
S,e £ has been at a premium of 8 girsh, and although in Jeddah the Dutch bai
motherlands Trading Society) on the initiative of the Government but at their own
risk Vnt £5 000 gold in an attempt to bolster up confidence in the currency and
actually succeeded in bringing the rate of exchange down to within 3 girsh of pr,
the improvement has not been maintained, and on the last day of the month t e
£ was hack to 226 Nor while the present financial policy is pursued is there likely
to be any improvement until the pilgrims start arriving in numbers and create a
demand for small coins. . . . „ mi,,
5 In the absence of Sharqieh’s local mischiet-monger it was possible to at
down to the market value of the deep affront to the Emir’s dignity occasioned by ft
signing of the Yambo condenser contract. A tentative offer of a reduction m pia
of £200 was seized upon with alacrity, and at the sacrifice of that princely si
Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey were able to secure a second and approved contract closely
modelled on the lines of the c ‘ unauthorised ” one. Fuad Hamza, who seems to have
considerable influence with His Royal Highness, insisted on the insertion of a new
clause referring any dispute which might arise to the Kadi of Jeddah to be settiefl
in accordance with the terms of the contract. This clause, in the bright legal mind
of its proud parent, effectively rules out any possible reference by the firm to tins
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , and, indeed, so far as this contract is concerned, is sufficient to deprive tneni
of any claim to British protection. But the strain on the Government in their display
of scruples in allowing the contract has proved too great, or the force of habit too
strong, for they have not yet been able to bring themselves to pay the whole of tne
now overdue first instalment. ,
6. During the month a meeting of the leading merchants was called byte
kaimakam to apportion responsibility for the delivery of cargo. In the past attempts
have been made to hold shipping agents responsible for goods until their delivery
to buyers. The kaimakam, with the concurrence of the merchants, and much to is
own satisfaction as agent for the Turner Morrison line of steamships, has now
secured that in accordance with the terms of bills of lading the responsibility
shipping agents will cease when goods leave a vessel. The sheikh of the lighterme
will thereafter bear the responsibility until relieved by the Customs authorities.
7. The Dutch destroyers “ De Rnyter ” and “ Eversley ” put into Jeddali o
the 25th October, and left on the 27th October. I gather, although the commanding
officer was very hazy on the subject, that the call was in return of the visit ol
Emir Faisal to Holland. His Highness came down to Jeddah for two or three a
and entertained the officers and the Dutch colony to a dinner. He was su ! )se ^ en j.j 1 1 e
entertained on board. The foreign representatives were not invited owing to
failure of the acting Dutch consul to agree to the suggested placing of the bov
representative. On the eve of their departure the ships gave a short searciiM
and firework display, but I understand the sook is very hurt at the omission o
customary salute on arrival. The visit seems to have fallen flat.
8. Kerim Khakimoff, the Soviet agent, left on the 13th October. When
him on the eve of his departure he was looking forward to a year’s stay in hu g
He produced an excellent bottle of vodka, and although abstaining himselt g
increasingly maudlin and affectionately reminiscent on former occupants o
post. He stated his firm conviction that of all the sects of Islam, the Hanbalis, w
• 1 1 i 1 XTT 11 * i-r- rPtliril
include the Wahabis, would be the last to enter Paradise. He expects to retu
Jeddah—after his leave, that is. Turaculov, his successor, comes from I ur
and has a marked Mongol appearance. He showed himself clearly no strang