مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [و‎‎١‎٨] (٨٠٢/٣٦)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
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October 29, 1937.
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CONFIDENTIAL.
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Section 1.
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[E 6387/S80/2S]
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Copy No.
Mr. Trott to Mr. Eden.—{Received October 29.)
(No. 153. Confidential.)
Sir, Jedda, October 1, 1937.
I HAVE the honour to submit herewith the Jedda report for September 1937.
2. Copies have been distributed as in the list in paragraph 67.
I have, &c.
A. C. TROTT.
Enclosure.
Jedda Report for September 1937.
I .—Internal Affairs.
333. The King has remained at Riyadh during the month. Mr. Ousman r
who was employed there most of the month (see paragraph 267), reports that His
Majesty followed his usual routine. Towards the end of the month the tribes
came to Riyadh for their annual subsidy. The King has been hunting on several
occasions and was intending to hunt again when Mr. Ousman left on the
26th September.
334. The Royal council which was held at Riyadh at the beginning of the
month included Sheikh Hafez Wahba, Saudi Minister in London, who had flown
specially from London to attend it. Fuad Hamza and Sheikh Yusuf Yasin were
also present. Palestine was an important item of discussion, and the Minister
to London on his way back thither said to the British Embassy at Cairo that
the King was in a very embarrassing and dangerous position owing to pressure
from the ulema urging him to declare himself openly against partition. Such
evidence as is possessed by this Legation does not lend much support to this
alarming view. The King himself sent a message to His Majesty’s Government
saying that he had dissuaded Sheikh Kamil-ul-Qassab and his fellow-agitator
from holding a Moslem conference at this stage, and had also persuaded them
not to go to the Yemen. The King was not, however, able to prevent the Bludan
Conference from being held. It was noticed by all that no representatives from
Saudi Arabia were sent to that conference, and the general impression at Jedda
is tlmt the King intends to take no action in the Palestine controversy at present.
Judging from recent issues of the two important local papers, the inhabitants of
Mecca and Medina have accepted the Royal lead, and are devoting themselves
to energetic propaganda for the coming pilgrimage.
335. Sheikh Hafez Wahba has again emphasised his opinion that British
help in the formation and training of a Saudi air force is urgently needed, and
he expressed the view that the best way to start would be to send out a British
officer to Jedda to make a personal examination of conditions there. His
Majesty's Government are, however, examining a scheme whereby a certain
number of selected Saudi mechanics could be trained in Egypt.
336. The favourite wife (a Turkish lady) of the Amir Feisal has given birth
to a son. The stories which circulate about the gifts distributed by the delighted
father bring to mind the classical stories of the generosity of Hatim Tai. His
servant, who was the first to bring him the good news, received from His Royal
Highness a nearly new Nash landau. The same man then went to Hamed
Suleiman, demanded a present from him too, and got 60 gold pounds in cash
Sheikh Muhammad Suroor and Sheikh Abdullah-el-Fadhl each contributed
400 riyals. The fortunate announcer, now well in his stride, returned to the Amir
and demanded a real gift this time, preferably something by which he could
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