"ملف 8/7 I تقارير الاستخبارات في جدة" [ظ‎‎٥‎٣] (٥٣٦/١٠٦)

2
what I say ”, What had Moslems agreed upon and striven for, Ibn Sa’ud asked,
and he had hesitated to join them ? He had no use for words, but if Moslems
went forth to action, it would be disgraceful for their honour, theirs, the Arabs,
if they failed to do the same. But he did not go on to indicate any plan of action ;
instead, he turned aside to ventilate other grievances. He was censured for lack
of rain in the Hejaz, lie was said to be contracting a loan with the English, he was
accused of wanting to do this and that. But he had taken nothing from the Hejaz ;
on the contrary he had given it peace and religious law. Almighty God withheld
the rain, but upon Moslems lay the disgrace of withholding charity and preventing
pilgiimage (icgarded, of course, as ever in the Hejaz, primarily as commercial
assets). By God, he oontinuedfl have no money and my only possessions are the
sw ord and the Qii ran. I declare openly that if any of the Moslem kings, princes,
or merchants wishes to do a benevolent deed for the Moslems of this country,
he is warmly welcome, provided that he does not violate the honour of our country
nor interfere with our independence or our religious affairs. I swear by God, the
only One God, that I have not contracted a loan with the English or others—-but
perhaps we may need to take from the Moslems, or others/
tU Here is a very fair indication of Ibn Sa’ud’s state of mind. He is at his
wits’ end to obtain money sufficient for his expensive needs. Moreover he is feeling
insecure and his words reflect his growing sense of the hostility which surrounds him
m the Hejaz and which is spreading in the Moslem world outside. His reactions
are alternately those of a man of action who would like to hit somebodv and a
pious begger for unconditional alms. But his enemies, though real to "him, are
impalpable, while benevolent Moslems are looking askance at his fanatical des
truction of their shrines and his spendthrift maladministration of the Holy Hejaz.
115. After prilgrimage, Ibn Sa’ud visited Jedda on April 30th but stayed only
a day and left on May 2nd. He started the leading inhabitants who assembled
to pay homage to him at the Green Palace by greeting them with the words “ I
could cut the throat of every one of you ”. The foreign representatives were
received in audience one by one on May 1st. His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires
found 1 bn Sa md polite but distant and with very little to say. He looked a different
man from w'hat he had been 18 months before, his face yellowed under the skin
pouchy, puckered, and far more livid ; his ill-health was evident.
116. Viceroy of the Hejaz.—The Amir Feysal left on April 12th on a mission
to Europe (paragraphs 53 and 127) and was replaced by Ibn Sa’ud’s third son
Muhammad, aged 22, as President of the Council and Viceroy-to-be.
IV Ministry of Foreign 4//hu>s.—Sheykh Yusuf Yasin at the same time be
came Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs. Fuad Bey Hamza accompanied the
Minister for Foreign Affairs on mission. Current affairs in April were dealt with
by letter and telephone to Mecca : there were no interviews.
118. Finance^ The Hejazi Government made a further attempt in April
to silence the persistent loan rumour (paragraph 11) which the Arabic and Indian
vernacular press kept on repeating. They announced in the “ Umm-al-Oura ”
ot April 15th that the crisis m the Hejaz was only a part of the general world
< epression ; they denied definitely that they had consulted the British or any other
Government about a loan, the rumoured conditions of which (appointment of an
Englishman to reorganize and control all finances, settlement of the Hejaz railway
question and use of Hejaz-Nejd territory by British aircraft) were such as the
Government could never accept; they foretold a conference of local financial experts
and oftered to assist anyone who might wish to be charitable to the Heiaz • thev
promise facilities to any Moslem, were he king or prince or merchant, who wanted
no/touched 1 & ° an ’ pr ° Vlded that their ri S ht3 ’ reli S ion and independence were
119. The financial position was unchanged. The Dutch adviser Mr Van
Beeuwen, arrived at Jedda on April 23rd on contract for a year (paragraph 62)
120 Economy.—The pilgrimage, though very small, brought a little business
and relief to the town populations of the Hejaz. The Beduin however continued
in miserable plight As a result of the draught, the Northern Hejaz was said to be
entirely empty of tribes, who had moved in search of grazing either northward into
ra , n , s ' dor , l ' aD or southward beyond Taima. Pilgrims to Medina were frequently
mobbed by starvmg nomads. 1 ^