'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [‎136v] (272/434)

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alarmist rumours were rife locally, according to which difficulties had been
encountered both at the hands of local tribesmen and of local officials.
■These were either entirely false or grossly exaggerated. Indeed, Mr.
I P. Larken returned towards the end of June from Taif after a period
of several months of prospecting, during which time he travelled exten
sively, mainly in an area south of Taif, and reported that he had met with
no interlerence. He had equally met with no success in his quest, and it
was understood from him that the syndicate’s operations in the Taif area
would now be definitely abandoned.
3. Much more promising results were reported from the Wejh area,
where the remains of old gold mines had been discovered at a number of
places in and around Umm-al-Qarriyat, some 10 or 12 miles north of Wejh.
It appears as though the syndicate propose to go rapidly ahead in this new
area, for they have now about a dozen of their European and American
staff stationed there. These include the personnel of their own aeroplane,
a Bellanca monoplane, which arrived at the end of April and is based on
VVejh, whence it has several times made its appearance in Jedda. The
pilot, an American, is accompanied by his wife, who acts as wireless
operator, and by a mechanic.
4. Work continues at the Mahd-adh-Dhahab, or Cot of Gold. The
road, of which mention is made in the despatch under reference, was
completed in June and is reported to be a very serviceable affair for most
season of the year over most of its length. A useful report on the major
part of the road was drawn up by a member of the Legation shortly before
the work was completed. Otherwise, the main interest in regard to the
Mahd-adh-Dhahab centres round the problem of water. For some time
drilling for water has been in progress and has been in the hands of
American drillers, using American drilling machines. Progress has been
slow and little or no water has been found. More recently, the Jedda
manager of the syndicate relates, the London office, becoming impatient
at the apparent lack of success, despatched two British drillers to this
country, with British drilling machinery. The latter had just arrived
when Mr. Dunckley spoke on the subject, but the two drillers had been here
a week or two longer and had already considerably improved on the efforts
of the Americans. Water, however, is still to seek, and the matter is
apparently a serious one, for, in the words of Mr. Dunckley: “No water,
no mine.” The syndicate, he added, were prepared to drill to a depth
of 2,000 feet, whereas at the moment they have not gone deeper than 100
feet..
5. I observe from Mr. Rendel’s letter of the 7th May last to Sir
Andrew Ryan that a concern named the Mining Trust (Limited) now holds
a controlling interest in the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate (Limited),
and assume that, since the flotation of the syndicate, the component
interests concerned (as given in the enclosure to Foreign Office printed
despatch No. 313 of the 14th August, 1934) have changed somewhat. In
this connexion, I was recently struck by a statement made by the Jedda
manager of the syndicate that the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate was
owned by the American Smelting Company, “lock, stock and*barrel.”
6. In Jedda work on the terminal compound has progressed very
considerably, but the various premises are not yet at a stage when they can
be occupied by the staff. No signs of work on a jetty are apparent, but a
landing ground for the syndicate’s aeroplane has been established in the
immediate vicinity of the compound. Mr. K. S. Twitchell, the general
manager in Saudi Arabia of the syndicate’s operations, left on the 24th
June for the United Kingdom, and his place has been taken by another
American, Mr. Park.
7. I am sending a copy of this despatch to He Department of Overseas
Trade and to Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan .