"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٨‎٧] (٤٣٤/٣٧٤)

65
(55)
Enclosure in Colonial Office covering letter No. P. Z. 6256/37, dated the
21 st September 1937.
Received on hth October 1937 with Political Secretary's letter No. 38, dated the
23rd September 1937.
Letter from Governor’s Office, Aden, to Secretary of State for
Colonies, London, dated the 18th August 1937.
\\ ith reference to my secret despatch of May 28th last regarding Italian
acti\ ities in the \ emen and connected matter, I have the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of a memorandum which has been prepared by Captain B.
W. Seager, the Frontier Officer, who returned to Aden from San’a on August
6 th last after a month’s stay in the Yemen.
Enclosure to S. No. (55).
Memorandum by Captain B. W. Seager, the Frontier Officer, dated
the 20th July 1937.
During my stay in San’a this month I find that I have not collected very
much fresh data to amplify my reports submitted towards the end of 1936.
The following represents the results of my observations and the information
imparted to me by the various personalities I have met in this town and on
my way to and from the Yemen.
2 . General.—The question of the succession to the Imamate still interests
all classes. The Crown Prince’s stock is rising and I begin to have very little
doubt that he wiil succeed his father in the first instance. Apart from theWazirs,
he seems to fear the rivalry of his brother Ali most of all. The latter is still in
prison and will remain there if the Crown Prince has his way though he w'ould
prefer to see him dead. It is reliably reported that an attempt was actually
made to poison him recently. Doctor Petrie was called in to attend him
and told me that he had treated him for dysentery in the first instance but
that he reacted too early to this treatment which led him to believe that his
internal disorders were not due to disease but probably to poison. He is
kept shackled and in chains and although permission was sought to get these
removed while he was ill, the King would not hear of it. I have met Ali
twice in the past. He is a pleasant young man and popular with all. He
is said to have a following who would risk a lot to get him out of prison but
1 fancy he will be lucky to emerge alive unless the Crown Prince has his
wings clipped.
3. The Crown Prince has mended his ways slightly but his natural indo~
lence coupled with his extreme harshness and cruelty still make him an un
popular figure.^ He is greatly feared and this may stand him in good stead
after his father s death as the electoral body will probably prefer to nominate
him rather than incur his wrath.
4. I believe he thinks he is cutting a fine figure in the public eye and
there is no doubt that he tries to stir himself into greater activity ; but in
mentality he combines the graces of an impulsive blundering with the
vindictiveness and unreasonable cruelty of an oriental despot of the good old
days. Decently, for instance, he imprisoned a soldier for desertion and
ordered that he was to die of starvation. At the end of his tether this un
fortunate wretch managed to shoot himself with a rifle belonging to one of
the sentries. In any other country in the world the Crowm Prince would
have been torn limb from limb years ago, but here in San’a we live in the
year 1200.
5. I was unfortunately unable to see him on my present visit as he was
suffering with stomachic pains probably due to over indulgence.