مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٧] (٨٠٢/٢٧٥)

is worth, showed the King in a braggart mood, in which he boasted of his power
to summon to his court the remotest and most powerful chieftains in his realm by
a slave bearing a simple message. He extolled the ease and speed with which he
eould mobilise and demobilise, and asked whether anywhere else in the world could
an army be assembled so quickly and at so little cost to the State. Why, therefore,
should he concern himself to organise his forces on modern lines, as many had
urged upon him, and spend millions of rials to little purpose!
318. If there has been any aerial activity, it has been confined to the skies
of Taif. One of the White Russian pilots recently went to Egypt and has now
returned, having, it is thought, tried to buy spare parts for the W apitis, but with
little success. A wrecked plane whose identity is at present doubtful (save that
it is apparently not a Wapiti) was brought in to Jedda by lorry from the direction
of Rabigh towards the end of the month. It may be an old He Havilland. The
Saudi student pilots are still in Italy, the first batch now having graduated as
‘ aviators.’ The Italian Charge d'Affaires admitted in conversation that he had
been criticised in Italy for sending them, as apparently the Italians are not
impressed. Signor Persico, himself, was rather crushing, for, he said : “ II faut
du courage pour voler.” One only had shown any real aptitude. The student
pilots, too, were at odds amongst themselves, and had indulged some time ago in
an unseemly fracas.
319. Local prices of food-stuffs (paragraph 302 of last report) again rose
both in Mecca and Jedda, due to uneasiness at the situation between Italy and
Ethiopia. The authorities once more intervened, and a Royal decree was issued,
but not published, setting up in each centre a local committee invested with
powers to control prices, fix rates of profit, and with judicial powers to inflict
punishment. Jedda merchants appealed to Ibn Sand for the cancellation of the
decree, and were informed in reply that the operations of the committees would be
suspended. In the meantime, the Umm-al-Qura had announced that prices were
returning to normal. As a result of the issue of the decree, however, local
merchants, it is stated, have cancelled orders for cereals, &c., placed in India.
320. Commencing with the 14th October, the 11 mm-al-Qura has issued daily,
except Fridays, a bulletin, at one-half Saudi piastre a time, containing telegraphic
news of the situation created by the Italo-Ethiopian conflict.
321. (Paragraph 255 of report for August.) The operations of the Saudi
Arabian Mining Syndicate (Limited) made considerable strides during October.
On the 6 th Mr. Twitchell returned to Jedda accompanied by two Englishmen.
Messrs. T. P. Larken and D. L. Gibbs, and six Swedes, the latter having been
engaged as expert diamond-drillers. Later, the personnel of the syndicate
received further reinforcement on the arrival of two more British employees,
Messrs. Dunckley and McDermott, and two Americans. Mr. Larken is understood
to be the manager at the mine and Mr. Dunckley to be in charge of the Jedda
office, while Mr. McDermott, who is the son of the director of that name
(paragraph 229 of the report for July), is a survevor. Mr. C. L. W. Bindloss, the
engineer on the Jedda staff of Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey and Co. (Sudan) (Limited),
has also been given a post under the syndicate. M. van de Poll went on leave on
the 9th, and Mr. Bishop, who has been at the mine during the summer, left Jedda
on the 23rd on termination of his engagement. A considerable quantity of
vehicles, machinery and stores arrived during the month, and great activity has
been displayed in transporting much of this material to the mine. Mr. Twitchell
has taken a house in Jedda as the permanent headquarters of the concern.
Progress has also been made in road-making operations on the alignment Jedda-
Asfan-al-Birka-Mahd-adh-Dhahah, but a difficult section beyond Asfan remains
to be dealt with. Houses are being built at the mine of local stone. The position
of the mine, according to revised estimates, is now thought to be roughly
23 degrees 30 minutes North by 41 degrees East. A company is stated to have
been formed and to have been granted an area of one square mile bv the syndicate
to prospect.
322. Further references have appeared in the Mecca press that oil has been
struck in Hasa. On the 1 st October the Saut-al-Hejaz announced that the daily
output was estimated at 116 barrels, and that the company had agreed to
commence boring a second well. The same newspaper on the 22nd stated^that the
well (the first) had reached a depth of 2,000 feet and that it only remained to
bore a further 40 feet. The local staff of the California Arabian’ Standard Oil