مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [و‎‎٣‎٩‎٧] (٨٠٢/٧٩٤)

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at the end of January that the elimination of Mr. Lowe would do good. On the
2nd February, acting under instructions, he discussed the situation witn
Sheikh Yusuf Yasin and strongly advised the discharge of Mr. Lowe. The ins
and outs of the matter are too complicated to be stated briefly. Ihe position at
the end of February was that the other two pilots had threatened some time beiore
*to resign, if Mr. Lowe were not dismissed, but all three were still employed.
43. Late in January His Majesty’s Government furnished material ^ or a
reply to the Hejazi Government’s request for assistance in connexion^ with the
spare parts for the aeroplanes (September—November report, section 21). The
reply regarding instructional machines and machine-guns reached the Legation
on the 25th February, but action on the despatch was delayed by the Transjordan
frontier crisis.
44. In February the Legation succeeded after long efforts m recovering
from the Hejazi Government a balance of £14 7.9. due in respect of travelling
expenses back to Iraq of the pilot lent by the Royal Air Force when the Hejaz
Air Force was transferred to Jedda. This trifle is placed on record, as it was
the one solid diplomatic triumph achieved during the period under review. The
gilt was taken off the Minister’s gingerbread when the Command Accountant
in Iraq asked him to recover £30 more, which had been advanced to the officer
before he started and which he had apparently overlooked. Sir A. Ryan, having,
as he thought, disposed of the matter financially on the bases of the earlier
claim, suggested that, if a further claim were to be made, it should be submitted
to the Air Ministry to be dealt with in consultation with the Foreign Office.
Arabian Air Route.
45. The question was raised in February whether a renewed effort should
be made this year to obtain Ibn Saud’s consent to British aircraft flying over
the Hasa coast (see report for July-August, section 24). The Legation was
informed towards the end of February that the project of pearling flights between
Bahrein and Iraq had been dropped. His Majesty’s Government were, however,
anxious to secure general facilities for the use of the El Hasa route by British
aircraft, whether military or civil. His Majesty’s Minister was given discretion
as to how much should be asked for in the first instance, and as to how and when
the matter should be broached. The objective was, not to request general
permission to fly over Nejd territory, but to ensure that any aircraft compelled
to enter or alight therein, should receive general assistance and good treatment;
that no objection should be raised to the despatch of assistance by air, if
necessary; and that the pilots should have knowledge of the position of landing
grounds between Koweit and Bahrein, of which there should preferably be three,
to be spaced at intervals of about 60 miles and to be chosen, if possible, in
consultation with the Air Officer Commanding in Iraq. These instructions were
issued on the 26th February.
V.—Military Matters.
General.
46. There is nothing definite to record about military movements. Reference
has been made in paragraph 29 to alleged despatches of forces to Asir. The King
would appear to have brought back a good many Nejdi fighting men on his return
from Riadh to Mecca. " Their prowess as dancers has been described in
paragraph 9.
'New Regular Army.
47. The organisation of a regular army in the Hejaz, though very embryonic,
has made some progress. The Director of Militarv Organisation mentioned in
section 26 of the September-November report gave place shortly after his appoint
ment to another Syrian ex-Turkish officer, German-trained, named Faudhi-
al-Kawokji. This officer fought against the French during the Syrian revolt and
came to the Hejaz as a refugee. The results of his efforts to create a regular
army were seen at a review in Jedda on the King’s Accession Day. The march
past consisted of two detachments of infantry, about 500 men in all, reasonably
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