File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎396v] (797/898)

agents were to hand the documents to Messrs. Lazzarini, as representatives, it appears,
of the Banco di Boma. The cases were for the Hedjaz Government. They appear to
have passed through the hands of Messrs. 1 homas Cook and Son at Port Said, where
they were disembarked from the steamship “ Architect, a Harrison boat. I he origin
of the consignment is not known.
The Amir Ali assures his supporters that armoured cars, aeroplanes and munitions
will reach Jeddah on a (? Dutch) steamer arriving about the 5th INovember.
Under the direction of the Turkish officer referred to above, a system of trenches
has been made all round Jeddah, at a distance varying from a mile to a few
hundred yards.
A Hashimite steamer brought about 300 “volunteers” from Akaba on the
29th October.
4. For the native of the Hedjaz, Mecca is now considered much safer than Jeddah.
Most of the well-to-do people who had fled to Jeddah have returned to Mecca. The
rest, and many inhabitants of Jeddah, would also have gone, but during the last few
days the road has become unsafe. Several caravans have been robbed and the people
composing them have had to return. These robberies seem to have been instigated, or
at least allowed, by the Shereef Muhsin, who acts as intermediary between the Hedjaz
Government and the tribes. One of the objects seems to have been to secure the
letters in which the people of Mecca have poured out their treasonable souls to the
Wahabis; another, to reward tribes who have promised to help Ali against the
Wahabis,
The Mecca road being closed, the population are seeking other ways of escape.
Egypt and Eritrea refuse to take refugees, but many have gone to Suakin. Some
hundreds of women, children and servants have been sent to the Jeddah quarantine
islands, and all the dhows have been retained by the menfolk of these people to take
them to the islands at a moment’s notice if Jeddah is attacked.
5. The departure of all the Indian pilgrims, and also the cutting of the road, which
removes the possibility (already greatly diminished by the reassuring attitude of the
Wahabis) of our being flooded by Indians from Mecca, simplifies the evacuation problem
very greatly. The special measures which had been taken at Kamaran by the Resident
at Aden to provide for the possible arrival of 2,500 British refugees have been cancelled,
the quarantine station being able to provide without expansion for some 500 persons;
that is about as many as we should have to send there,
6. The Wahabis have committed no offences against life or property in Mecca, but
they have prohibited as unnecessary the delivery of theological lectures and the use of
all religious books other than the Koran and the Traditions. This policy has bad the
effect ot driving a considerable number of Malay and Javanese theological students
away to Jeddah, where they are waiting for steamers to call to take them home.
Evidence obtained from these students and from other sources goes to show that the
W ahabis have also desectated various tombs at IVlecca which the Sunni remirds with
veneration.
7. The Amir Ali has stated to various people that when Ibn Baud reaches Mecca
he will go theie - alone if necessary and try to come to an arrangement with him, but
that he will make no further attempt to negotiate with Khahd. It is unlikely that any
attack will be made on Jeddah before Ibn Baud arrives. The AVAhabis have met with
no serious opposition hitheito, and will hardly attack an entrenched position if they can
solve the pioblem in some other way. Jeddah is the most convenient port for Mecca,
but it is not the only port. Tiade, if not the pilgrim traffic, could be diverted to, e.q.,
^ • ,, . . Rabi & h has gone over to the Wahabis, and
there are signs that an attempt will be made to get supplies for Mecca through that
place. Supplies at Mecca are already very low and prices high, and a solution must be
found soon. What the attitude of the tribes will be is not knowm At present they
are busy swearing allegiance to both sides. They will probably not make up their
minds un i t le scales have swung definitely one way or the other. Ali is giving them
money and grain ; the Wahabis could offer them a tax on all grain imported through
Rabigta. Ah s resources are believed to be small, and he is collecting very little
re ™™ e > ' ! e main source—customs dues—having almost dried up, so that he might be
outbidden by the Wahabis, who have in addition the prestige of Ibn Baud’s name on
tneir side.
R. W. BULLARD,
Agent and Consul.