'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [‎117r] (233/434)

2. The King arrived at Riyadh on his return from Kuwait on or about Feb
ruary 9th. He left Riyadh again on February 19th and arrived in Mecca on the
22nd. He was accompanied by the Heir Apparent. He came to Jedda early on
the 25th attended by the Amir Baud and some of the other junior princes.
3. His Majesty received most of the members of the diplomatic body in the
forenoon of February 25th but departed from his usual custom of giving successive
audiences to the various heads of missions on his arrival in Jedda. He had to
receive the credentials of no less than three new Ministers later in the day and
saved time by receiving the other representatives all together, plus one of the new
Ministers, M. Maigret, who was already Charge d’Affaires. In these circumstances
the audience was even more formal than usual. The King appeared to be in good
health and spirits.
4. I am reporting separately on the presentation of their credentials by the new
Ministers of the U. S. S. R., Iran and France. By 5 p.m. they had been to see
the King and were qualified to attend a reception of all the foreign representatives
by the Heir Apparent in the afternoon. On this occasion the proceedings were
equally formal but uniform was not worn except by M. Maigret, who had probably
had no time to change. It is noteworthy, as a sign of the enhanced position of the
Amir Baud, that he held this reception, not in the King’s Palace, but in another
house frequently used for ceremonies.
5. On the morning of February 26th I visited the King to present Mr. Maxwell
Darling, whose visit to Arabia in connexion with locust research has been the sub
ject of other correspondence. His Majesty discoursed in the liveliest possible
manner about locusts. He was greatly imbued with the traditional Islamic
theory that these insects originate in the interior of a particular kind of fish, which
apparently spews them forth on to an inland or islands, whence they fly over the
sea to innocent countries like Arabia. I understand from Mr. Philby that this
rests on some tradition of the Prophet, not binding (fortunately for Mr. Philby)
as an article of faith, but generally accepted by true believers. The King could
therefore not be expected to discard it, but he paid a passing tribute to the value
of modern scientific research.
6 . The King made no reference to any questions outstanding between Great
Britain and Saudi Arabia. Fuad Bey had suggested that I might like to stay on
after Mr. Darling’s audience to talk business. His Majesty, however, made
no effort to detain me and I myself was glad to retire, as I had not received your
final instructions on the major questions and had decided not to follow up at
present my request for an audience to : discuss the question of the Government
of India dispensaries. Moreover the Soviet and Iranian Ministers were waiting
to be received in private audience.
7. The King returned to Mecca on the afternoon of February 26th. There
were no festivities during his stay. I had by way of precaution warned Fuad
Bey that, while I could attend a formal audience to pay respects, I should be pre
vented by Court mourning from attending anything in the nature of a social
functions.
8 . Great precautions have been taken in Mecca for some time past to limit
the number of possible undesirables during the pilgrimage. Some of the measures
taken have been harsh. They accord with the recent Saudi policy of discouraging
destitutes from making the pilgrimage, discouraging also the use of unauthorised
routes and diminishing vagrancy, but they are also attributed to the determination
of the authorities to guard against any attempt on the King’s life, similar to that
of last March. Reports have been set afloat regarding his own nervousness and the
arrival of suspicious Yemenis in various places. These may be dismissed as un
convincing but the overland pilgrimage from the Yemen is expected to be numerous
and I am told that there is much apprehension among the inhabitants of Mecca,
who are more gossipy than courageous.
9. I am sending a copy of this despatch to the Government of India.
( 21 )
Memorandum No. 25 (391/118/7), dated the 28th February 1936.
His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda presents his compliments to H. E. the Viceroy
of India (Foreign and Political Department), and has the honour to transmit to