ملف ١٩٢٤/١٧٠٧ "الجزيره العربية - تقارير عن الوضع في جدة. (١٩٢٤-١٩٣٠)" [و‎‎٢‎٠‎٧] (٨٩٨/٤١٨)

acceded to until His Majesty s return. Yusuf Yassin is an arch obstructionist and
hair-splitter; he takes a jaundiced view of life; he is a sallow-faced young man who
carries his Syrian nose as though m the presence of a bad smell and ole susnlcts
that one is oneself the bad smell in question. He has no experience excels a
second-rate journalist, and has succeeded in making himself cordially disliked by
all foreigners. It is unfortunate that a youth of this calibre should b e y placed even
-tor a month in a position of importance. It is to be hoped that D r P Abdullah
.Damluji will remain m the Hejaz if and when Ibn Saud returns to Neid.
b. lor some time past attention has been given by the local authorities to the
question of an electric light installation in Jeddah. It was hoped that the contract
would be given to a British firm and that the Hejaz Government would take on and
work tne installation. The Government have decided, however, to give the concession
to a Mahometan firm; the latter will doubtless call on a British firm to effect the
first installation. Amongst other improvements which are to be introduced is a
new condenser capable of producing 100 tons of water per day, and, it is hoped an
ice-makmg plant. J F ’
9 Mr. Philby has returned to Jeddah from Egypt, where he spent a fortnight.
Speculation was rife as to the object of his journey. Rumour had it that his visit
was not unconnected with a minor surgical operation which must perforce be under
gone by those about to embrace Islam. There is no doubt that Mr. Philby does
coquet at times with the idea of a change of faith, but there is good reason to believe
that the King would not view the change with a favourable eye. Mr. Philby’s real
object in visiting Egypt was, there can be little doubt, the obtaining of the contract
lor the lighting of Jeddah, as he returned here accompanied by Mr Roy of the
Associated British Manufacturers (Egypt) (Limited). While in Egypt he gave an
interview to a representative of the Balagh. ’ There is little of real interest in
tne interview as reported. After informing the “Balagh” that he has obtained
the agency in the Hejaz for Pord cars, he gives his views on the treaty negotiations;
Capitulations he wishes to see abolished, the Maan-Akaba territory ought to be
handed over to the Hejaz. The British Government, he states, are wise to make a
treaty, and so repair many of their past errors of policy.
10. The much advertised Russian trade exhibition ship has arrived, bringing
360 pilgrims and a hundred cases of samples. The customs authorities are refusing
to allow the latter through without examination. The Soviet representative is
subdued : the number of pilgrims stated to be arriving this year has been given at
various times as 10,000, 4,000 and until recently as 2,000; he feels he has been badly
let down. It was felt that the risk of Bolshevik agents arriving with the pilgrims
was considerable. Strong representations were made before the arrival of the ship
severally by the British, Dutch and Egyptian consuls to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs. The latter fully realised the responsibility of the Hejaz Government for
ensuring that Bolshevik ideas should not be disseminated among the pilgrims, and
promised to keep the very strictest watch. An attempt is being made by the
Russians, by offering minimum fares (250 rupees return), to induce Afghan pilgrims
to travel in future via Odessa.
11. Five slaves have been manumitted and repatriated during the month under
review. Two cases presented a certain interest. An unattractive young woman
of Abyssinian origin took refuge in this agency early in May. Her story was that
the son of her master, the Mayor of Jeddah, had made a successful attempt on her
virtue, with the result that in six months time there would be a little stranger in
the house of the mayor. The mayor knowing nothing of this breach of family
etiquette was likely to show displeasure, and the son, fearing the paternal wrath,
tried to force the young lady by illegal means to remove the fruit of his misbehaviour.
The lady resenting this, there were domestic scenes of some violence. The father
was meanwhile in Mecca. My Italian colleague rang up to say that the son of the
mayor had asked him to intercede with the British agency for the return of the slave
on the grounds that the latter, being enceinte, had the right to her freedom by Moslem
law. In order to avoid taking any action which might hamper Sir Gilbert Clayton
in his discussion of the question of manumission, it was decided to hold the slave
until after the conclusion of the negotiations, and then to afford the mayor an
opportunity of airing his views. The mayor proved reasonable and agreed that, as
the woman did not wish to return to him, and that, as, whatever rights she might
acquire if she eventually provided his son with an heir, she was at the moment a
slave, the agency had no choice but to repatriate her. On another occasion the
French consul asked for assistance in repatriating a manumitted slave. It was the
rT47 dd—11
b 2