مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [ظ‎‎٣‎٦‎٦] (٨٠٢/٧٣٣)

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the matter, to tell him that His Majesty’s Government had not been consulted as
to whether the Hejaz-Nejd should be invited or not, the matter of invitations
having been left entirely to the Secretariat of the League. Fuad Bey did raise
the question and received his answer. He made no further attempt to enlist the
interest of His Majesty’s Government.
*
Orientalists and Municipalities.
54. The Hejaz-Nejd were, nevertheless, invited by the Dutch Government
in July to send a representative to the International Conference of Orientalists
at Leiden, and by His Majesty's Government in August to appoint official
delegates to the 1932 Fifth International Congress of Local Authorities, in
London; they were also requested to tell their local authorities about this congress.
There is no one really clever enough, and no one rich enough was found, to go to
Leiden. As for the Congress of 1932, the meantime is no doubt being spent in
pondering the European entanglements and spiritual dangers to be faced, if
municipal pilgrims from the Holy Places of Islam are to seek the electric light
in the West.
France.
55. The treaty negotiations have not yet produced the treaty (see May-June
report, paragraph 44).
Italy.
56. Nor have the Italian consul's treaty hopes been fulfilled (see May-June
report, paragraph 56). He went on leave on the 19th July having failed, for the
second year in succession, to take the treaty with him.
57. ” A little, but very virulent, anti-Italian propaganda has been circulating
in the Hejaz in the form of pamphlets introduced from Syria They are inspired
by the Kufra incident of the early summer.
The Netherlands.
58. The Netherlands Charge d'Affaires at Jedda, M. Van der Meulen,
returned to Jedda from the Hadhramaut (see May-June report, paragraph 46)
on about 10th July, and left finally on the 17th July.
59. The following Hejazi appointments abroad were announced in July :—
Sheikh Hafiz Wahba to be Ibn Sand’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary at The Hague;
Sheikh Abdullah Ibrahim-al-Fadhl to be First Secretary in charge of the
Hejaz-Nejd Legation at The Hague;
Sayyid Hamza-al-Ghouth to be Hejaz-Nejd consul in Batavia.
60. Hejazi negotiations for a Dutch loan have been reported in paragraph 9.
Egypt.
61. Hafiz Amer Bey made several visits during July and August to Mecca
and Taif, presumably to continue discussion of matters affecting the Mahmal
{see May-June report, paragraph 48).
62. Sidky Pasha made a statement in the Cairo Chamber of Deputies on
the 13th July in regard to the practice of sending the Mahmal. accompanied with
large consignments of cash and corn, annually to the Hejaz. He traced the
reasons why it was discontinued and averred that the Egyptian Government
'would be glad to be in a position to distribute these alms to the poor of Mecca
and Medina, as in the past, as soon as the causes of disagreement with the Hejazi
Government disappeared.
Soviet Russia.
63. The Soviet Minister’s efforts in working up the sale of petroleum
products (see May-June report, paragraph 51) resulted in the signature in August
of a £30,000 contract for benzine from Batum. Details of the deal have been
given in paragraph 10.