مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [ظ‎‎٦‎٤] (٨٠٢/١٢٩)

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and the provision for the comfort of pilgrims, and then as praising “ the Govern
ment of his country " for help given to pilgrims from Eritrea and the facilities
afforded them, which included, he says, material help to the extent of 10,000 fr. a
head. The Umm-al-Qura cruelly says: “His Excellency expatiated on this
theme." The paragraph appears to be a Saudi compromise. The reader feels
that it was not possible to refuse to print the propaganda, and, indeed, Ibn Saud
and the Hejaz could not but be grateful for the arrival of pilgrims from a fresh
source; but to diminish the force of the propaganda reference is made only to
Eritrea, not to Ethiopia, and the Italian authorities have to be content with
being described as the Government of Eritrea.
86 . Dr. Fea, the ex-naval surgeon, who until last summer was doctor to the
Italian Legation (paragraph 424 of December) is again in Jedda. According to
statements which he made to another foreigner here, he has a mission from the
Lloyd Triestino to inspect and report on the sanitary condition of their vessels
plying to Arabian ports and to Bombay. It is hoped that this is not a prelude to
an attempt to compete for the carriage of Indian pilgrims. Dr. Fea also said that
he was to establish a dispensary and a well-equipped hospital, but this conflicts
with a statement made by the Italian Charge d’Affaires that Dr. Fea was to be
replaced by another doctor. Moreover, the Saudi policy towards foreign medical
services would have to be modified fundamentally to allow the Italian Legation
to embark on such schemes.
87. General Franco also used the pilgrimage for propaganda purposes. He
gave free or greatly reduced passages to Jedda to a number of pilgrims, estimated
at about 250, from the Spanish Zone of Morocco. They travelled on the
Maghrab-al-A qsa, a vessel flying the flag of the Burgos Government. She called
at some port or ports in Libya and took on about 200 more pilgrims. It is stated
that Fuad Bey gave a lunch for the leaders of the Spanish Moroccans; he
certainly received them at the Foreign Affairs office in Jedda. It is credibly
reported that they brought with them 150,000 fr. (in pesetas) for charitable
purposes, besides presents for Ibn Saud (a Chrysler car, Moorish daggers,
carpets and stuffs, and some diamond rings) to the value of about 450,000 fr.
Reports from Mecca state that the pilgrims were loud in their praise of
General Franco, but a reliable Jedda notable, who saw some of them, depicts
them as saying what is probably nearer to their real opinion, viz., that the
Spaniards are less civilised than the French and the Italians, but are to be
preferred as being less avaricious and more easy-going. The Umm-al-Qura makes
the guarded statement that a number of Moroccans saw King Abdul Aziz, and
one of them made a speech to which His Majesty replied.
88 . The pilgrimage from Spanish Morocco was used for a demonstration of
Italian solidarity with the insurgents. Legally, the inhabitants of the Spanish
Zone of Morocco are under French protection outside the limits of the zone,( l )
since the French Government are in charge of the foreign affairs of the whole of
Morocco, and such Spanish Moroccans as have made the pilgrimage hitherto have
gone to the French Legation in Jedda for a return visa. On this occasion, how
ever, the Italian Government claimed to represent General Franco, and informed
the Minister for Foreign Affairs that the vessel, which would take on pilgrims
from Libya, would be under Italian protection, and that the interests of the
pilgrims would be in the hands of the Italian Legation. After landing her
pilgrims the vessel retreated to Massawa, on the pretext that Jedda harbour was
unsafe The pilgrims are not likely to need any protection, and the matter is
mainly of interest in that General Franco, in placing the pilgrims under the
protection of Italy, is evading French rights. But he could hardly be expected
to leave the pilgrims free to apply to the French for visas, and his action may be
dictated by practical considerations and not intended as a breach of the Franco-
Spanish Treaty relating to the Spanish Zone of Morocco
89. There is a great contrast between the ceremonies which attended the
departure of the Mahmal from Egypt and its reception in Jedda. A considerable
crowd collected on the quay when the Mahmal was landed at Jedda, but the
authorities were only represented by the A.D.C. to the Amir Feisal and by a few
police to keep the crowd back. The Umm-al-Qura says that the “ Mission of *
* Departmental Note .—This description of the position of natives of the Spanish Zone
when abroad is not quite accurate. See article 22 of the Franco-Spanish Convention of the
27th November, 1912, under which natives of the Spanish Zone of Morocco when abroad are
placed under the protection of Spanish diplomatic and consular officers.