"ملف 8/7 I تقارير الاستخبارات في جدة" [ظ‎‎٤‎٦] (٥٣٦/٩٢)

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in 1930 or 1931 and to have been sold by his master, or companion, into slavery.
His case seemed thus to fall under Article 7 of the treaty of Jedda regarding the
suppression of slave trade. He was consequently repatriated as intended, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a note of December 26th admitting that he was a free
person wrongfully enslaved.
101. The Hejazi Government asked however that Bakhit, the other slave,
should be handed over to the local authorities as being a Royal slave. They stated
that the fact of his having been with Sheykh 'Abdullah Suleyman was immaterial,
as the latter bought all the King’s slaves. Bakhit was therefore retained in the
Legation and personally questioned by His Majesty’s Minister. He gave a straight
forward and convincing story of having been brought from Africa as a child, at pil
grimage time, captured by Beduin outside Jedda, sold in the \emen, sent many
years later to Medina, taken when the city fell to Ibn Sa ud s son, sent by him to
Ibn Sa’ud’s cousin Ibn Musa’id, and by him to ’Abdullah Suleyman 18 montl s ago.
He had had nothing to do with the King. Copies of His Majesty’s Minister’s ques
tionnaire and the man’s replies were sent to the Hejazi Government on December
31st.
102. The case developed during January on acute lines which it is unnecessary
to describe in detail. The Hejaz-Kejd Minister in London made representations
to the Foreign Office. His Majesty’s Minister had a series of patient interviews with
the Hejazi Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in a sustained effort to find a com
promise. Fuad Hamza however was uncompromising, became heated, and ev 0 1_
tually lost his head. There seems little reason to doubt that, once armed with Ibn
Sa’ud’s claim to have the slave returned, he made no further reference, or inade
quate reference, of the course of the affair to the King, who was at Hufuf, with the
result that a deadlock was reached.
103. His Majesty’s Government, who were kept fully informed by His Majesty s
Minister by telegraph, stated on January 27th that the matter was one of very
great importance on which they could not yield. They instructed Sir A. Ryan so to
inform the Hejazi Government and promptly to arrange with the Senior Naval
Officer, Red Sea Sloops, to embark Bakhit in H.M.JS. “ Penzance”. They added
that the matter was so important that, had “ Penzance” not happened to be at
Jedda, they would have asked the Admiralty to send a ship for the purpose. 1 hey
realised that the embarkation might present practical difficulties, but they gave
Sir A Ryan fullest discretion. His Majesty’s Minister accordingly informed the
Hejazi Government on January 28th of His Majesty’s Government’s views and their
express instructions, which, he added, he was taking the necessary steps to carry
out without delay. He asked that the local authorities be informed.
104. After consultation with Commander Farquhar, it was decided to leave the
process of embarkation to be carried out on the following afternoon by the Legation
staff, openly from the quay in the Legation launch. If and when this attemp
failed owing to physical or armed opposition, it would be necessary to
consider the need for naval co-operation. The next day was decided upon .in
order to give the Hejazi Government time to communicate by wireless with the
King But they telegraphed to His Majesty’s Minister the same evening, imme
diately on receipt of his note, that they would never agree to the departure of
the slave. Sir A. Ryan telegraphed back the following morning that he was
sending Bakhit to the sloop that day.
105. The man was duly embarked in the afternoon without difficulty, the
doubled Nejdi guard on the quay making no attempt to intervene until too late,
when the launch was already under w'eigh ; then they made a futile rus 0 ^
water’s edge and stood there shouting and gesticulating. It was later learner
that Fuad Hamza, who is no ordinary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, had
himself issued standing orders to the police to shoot Bakhit on sight outside the
Legation, and particular instructions, in the attempt to embark him, to oppose
SirA Ryan if he accompanied the slave in person, without however usmg physical
force in the last resort; but if it were Captain Seager (who usually deals with slaves),
to resist him by every means at their command. Happily it was Hamadhan am
the guard failed to adjust their wits in time to the arrival of Mr. Hope GiU, loilowect
by the slave, flanked by Captain Seager who engaged the passport officials, and