!['File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [‎11r] (34/554)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000222/IOR_R_15_1_573_0032.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [‎11r] (34/554)")
'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [11r] (34/554)
The record is made up of 1 volume (270 folios). It was created in 20 Jan 1942-26 Jun 1945. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
6/
Tour telegram No.319 ( of 20th October: financial assistance s i
for Ibn Saud), ^
His Majesty^ .^nbassador at Washington has now reported that
a definite decision has been taken against financial assistance
to Saudi Arabia by the United States of America. United States Minister
in Cairo, will however, when he goes to Jedda in January to present
his credentials, offer the services of a small mission of experts
on agriculture and land reclamation, possible under leadership of
Mr. Twitchell*
Ext. 7266/41 * With the compliments of the Under Secretary
o£ State for Foreign Affairs.
12tn November 1941.
SgCRST (CTPHTCR) TleDartmental No.2.
yROM WU i'O 0^1^ .
3 Mr. Stonehewer Bird D. 12.20 a.m. 10th November, 1941.
^ No .$52
Oth^ovanber 1941 R. 8.30 p.m. 10th November 1941.
IMMBDIHTEI . £
My telegram No. 319. [
(grp. undec. ? Private). On receiving report of ray conversation
Yusuf Yasin ordered the Minister of finance to give me a full and
frank statement of the financial position instruorting him at the
same time not to ask for any given sum bu- to leave it to me to
decide in light of figures sibmitted what help could reasonably be
asked of His Majesty r s Grovernment.
2. Figures reveal most dangerous sta-e of affairs. For three
years before the war average annual expenditure was approsimately
£3,000.000 of which rather less than £2,000,000 was met by customs
and pilgrim dues and internal taxation, and the remaining £1,000,000
represented payments by oil and. concessionary companies. In 1941
expenditure has increased by about £750,000 arid revenue^allen
by nearly £1,800,000. His Majesty's Government made loans amounting
to £600,DOO and ^ave 10,000.500 riyals, worth roughly £800,000 or
£1,400,000 (sic). There will thus ue debt of £1,150,000 in 1941
owing for supplies obtained on credit; and to the Government officials
for arrears of salary.
3. Increase in espenditure is attributable almost entirely to
increased distribution of money and 25 food, not only to Neja tribesmen
who suffered from a drought, but to Heiazi townsmen who have been
reduced to poverty owing to falling off of pilgrimage.
4. Decrease of revenue is due to the following causes:
(a) H-reatly decreased number of pilgrims.
(b) Heduced customs revenues. Not only have imposts decreased
owing to lack of pilgrims, especially of tne richer'type from Ja.va
end Malay, but duties have had to be~ reduced by 25% to enable
impoverished population to buy imported goods.
(c) Drought resulted in death and slaughter owing to lack of
pasture of a large proportion of animals and the agricultural tax,
where not abolished, produced little.
5. The Minister of Finance does not foresee any improvement in
the situation in "1942 and the position will thus be as follows:-
Estimated expenditure based on 1941 figures, £3,700,000.
Estimated revenue (including £750,000 which the Saudi Arabian
Government expects to receive from oil companies) £1,000,000. The
Government must thus find £2,700,000 Tor 1942 and have debts con-
5 3 r?? t:,ec * 1^41 amounting to £1,150,000. iheir total ^quirements
till the end of 1942 are thus £3,850,000. Of this sum they are, it
is stated, in immediate need of at least £250,000.
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of telegrams, letters, and reports relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire, the Political Agencies in Bahrain and Kuwait, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. and the Foreign Office in London, and the Government of India.
Much of the volume covers Saudi-US relations, including:
- US financial assistance to Saudi Arabia;
- the report (ff 146-147) of a medical tour of the country made by the American Mission to Bahrain;
- a trip to Kuwait made by Colonel Hoskins, President Roosevelt's Personal Envoy to Ibn Sa'ud in August 1943;
- the opening of a US Consulate in Dhahran;
- a secret report (ff 223-224) on 'America and Arabia' from the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire.
Other subjects covered are:
- the report (ff 79-99) of a trip to Riyadh made by Tom Hickinbotham, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Kuwait;
- the wartime supply situation in the region;
- the financial situation in Saudi Arabia;
- Ibn Sa'ud's relationship with Sa'ud bin 'Abdullah bin Jiluwi, the Amir of Hasa;
- telegraphic communications in the country;
- meteorology, including a report (f 181) on the British Meterological Party's tour of Saudi Arabia;
- Ibn Sa'ud's request for British military and financial assistance.
Also notable within the volume are:
- Gerald De Gaury's interview with Ibn Sa'ud (ff 19-22);
- annual summary reports on Saudi Arabia produced by the British Legation in Jeddah for the years 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944;
- a letter (152-154C) from Bertram Thomas to the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire following his trip across Arabia, detailing anything he thought might be useful for the British Government to know;
- a report (f 175) on the Saudi Arabian royal family by the British Legation in Jeddah.
At the end of the volume (ff 249-264) are internal office notes.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (270 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically. There is an alphabetical subject index to the contents, at the front of the volume (folio 2).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the sequence starts on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled and located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, and 1C; 28A and 28B; 154A, 154B, and 154C; 216A and 216B.
Condition: the broken spine cover is detached from the volume and enclosed in a plastic sleeve numbered folio 265, at the back of the volume. The plastic sleeve may cause some loss of sharpness to the digital image of the spine cover.
There is a second sequence that is inconsistent. It is also written in pencil but is not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [11r] (34/554), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/573, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023505691.0x000021> [accessed 13 May 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023505691.0x000021
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023505691.0x000021">'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [‎11r] (34/554)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023505691.0x000021"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000222/IOR_R_15_1_573_0032.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000222/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/573
- Title
- 'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous'
- Pages
- front, back, spine-a:spine-c, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1ar:1cv, 2r:153v, 154ar:154cv, 155r:185r, 186r:215v, 216ar:216bv, 217r:229v, 231r:232v, 238r:267v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence