مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [و‎‎٢‎١‎٤] (٨٠٢/٤٢٨)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
May 30, A 934.T
( Iw
Section 1.
/ <
'E 3SS0/71S/2S]
No. 1.
i 9 5
Sir A. Ryan to Sir John Simon.—(Received May 30.)
(No. 134. Confidential.) , -mcM
g ir Jedda, May 4, 1934.
I HAVE the honour to submit herewith the Jedda report for April 1934.
2. Copies have been distributed as in the list appended to the report tor
January. T , D
I have, &c.
ANDREW RYAN.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Jedda Report for April 1934.
I .—Internal A ffairs.
67. Ibn Saud remained in Mecca throughout the month except for a visit
to Jedda from the 11th to the 13th April, in the course of which he twice
received His Majesty’s Minister in formal audience. He appeared to be
completely composed in spite of his preoccupations in the south. He opened a
new session of the Legislative Council, a body of which very little had been
heard for some time, on the 21st April.
68. The heir apparent remained in supreme command in the inland portion
of the southern front. The Amir Feisal left early on the 15th April to assume
the command in the littoral. Their younger brother, Muhammad, had ahead\
left for Riyadh to lead further troops from Nejd. A still younger brother.
Khalid, was appointed Acting President of the Council and Acting Minister of
the Interior in place of Feisal.
69. A story of Ibn Saud in merry monarch mood is worth recording.
It is vouched for by Mr. Philby, who was present. While in Jedda the King
was dining with his courtiers. The company included Ahmed Banaja, a notable
of Jedda, who was Minister of Finance under the Hashimite regime, and
Sheikh Ali Taha, that pale shadow who combines the functions of Assistant
Governor with those of Assistant Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Banaja
is a man so noted for his pusillanimity that it is a subject of chaff. The King
asked him whether there was anyone present whom he could face up to.
Banaja, after some hesitation, said he thought he could take on Ali Taha. The
company thought he had chosen well, when the King ordered pistols for two and
bade the couple to set to with them. But, to the surprise of all, it was Ali Taha
who advanced boldly, while Banaja took cover behind the King s chair, until
His Majesty called the duel off.
70. ' The effective direction of foreign affairs was in the hands of the King’s
political secretary, Sheikh Yusuf Yasin, during the first half of the month. His
official appointment as Acting Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs was notified
to the foreign missions on the 31st March, but on the 16th April Fuad Bey Hamza
returned from Abha and on the 18th April he resumed his duties at Mecca,
apparently as Acting Minister.
71. The war with the Yemen overshadowed every other interest during the
whole of April. No internal events of any consequence came to the notice or the
Legation, nor were there any striking developments in the financial and economic
domains. The following items may be noted :—
{a) The position in regard to the proposed oil concession for the Koweit
neutral zone remained indeterminate throughout the month. It
[106 gg—1] b