"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (٤٣٤/٢٤٣)

20
4. It may be worth adding that the Vice-Consul M. Chakir Ismailoff, who wag
left in charge of the Legation ot the U. S. R. R. in the departure of the late Minister
left for San a on February 17th, with the ostensible object of visiting a colleague
who is employed in the Russian commercial service there.
5. I am sending a copy of this despatch to His Majesty’s Chief Commissioner
Aden.
(31)
Memorandum No. 41 (766/377/15), dated the 25th April 1936.
His Majesty s Minister at Jedda presents his compliments to His Excellency
the \iceroy of India (Foreign and Political Department), and has the honour to
transmit to him, a copy ol Despatch to the Foreign Office, No. 118, dated the 25th
April 1936, concerning a member of the Idrisi family, one Seyyid al Arab
Enclosure to Serial No. (31).
Letter from His Majesty’s Minister, Jedda oe the Foreign Office, No. 118
(765/577/15), dated the 25th April 1936.
You will remember that at the close of the Saudi Yeman war of 1934 Ibn
Saud secured the surrender of Seyyid Hasan Al Idrisi and two other important
members of the family Abdul-Wahhab and Abdul-Aziz, the latter of whom died last
year. A rumour recently reached me that another member of the Idrisi family
described by my informant as “ Seyyid Al-Arab ”, had arrived in Jeddah last
February and had been taken to Mecca, where the others are allowed to reside
aftei the Italian Legation here had obtained guarantees for his being well-treated
2. 1 was inclined, if there was anything in the story at all, to identify the
person m question with Seyyid Mohamad-Al-Arabi, son of Abdul-al, son of the
onginal Ahmed-Al-Idnsi, i.e., one of that branch of the family which is associated
principally with the Sadan and Egypt. This man’s submission to Ibn Saud would
be of some little importance, as he was one of the Asiri delegation who came to
Mecca in October 1930 in connexion with the arrangements for the absorption of
Asir into the Ibn Sand’s dominions but was afterwards concerned in the revolt of
Seyyid Hasan in November-December 1932. It was understood that, after the
collapse of the rebellion, he went with a nephew of his to Massawa which might
account for the alleged Italian interest in him. °
3. I took an apportunity to-day of asking Shaykh Yusuf Yasin whether Seyyid
Al Arabi had arrived in Mecca. He replied that he had, he thought, been there for
a year or so ; any how he had seen him there before he himself left for Riyadh last
November. In view of this information, which I have no reason to doubt, it now
seems to me probable that my previous informant’s sources were confusing two
things, viz., the presence of Al Arabi in Mecca sometime ago and the more recent
arrival from Jizan of certain other persons, whom I cannot indentify but who are
said to have been landed m Jedda m conditions of some secrecy and conveyed to
Mecca. Conflicting rumours have reached me regarding the composition of this
party and the reasons for their being sent here. I am not, however, pursuing this
matter, as my object has merely been to locate Al-Arabi for the reason given in
the preceding paragraph.
4. I am sending copies of this despatch to his Majesty’s High Commissioner
for Egypt, Cairo, His Excellency the Governor General of the Sudan, Khartoum,
His Majesty s Chief Commissioner at Aden and to the Government of India in the
Foreign and Political Department at New Delhi.
(32)
{Received on 24th May 1936, with Poll ical Secretary-s letter No. 19, dated 7th Man
1936.) '' J
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter dated 3rd March 1936.
Memorandum No. 86 (553/79/3), dated the 25th March 1936.
_ His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda presents his compliments to His Maic-sty’s
1 nncipal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit