'File 61/11 VII (D 122) Hejaz-Nejd Miscellaneous' [‎92r] (198/454)

THIS DOCUMEN > T1 PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
} I ' I
EASTERN (ARABIA)/ April 23, 1935,
CONFIDENTIAL. Z* ' 7 * 1 S ection 6.
[E 2569/74/25] No. 1.
Sir A. Ryan to Sir John Simon.—{Received April 23.)
(No. 89.)
Sir, Jedda, March 24, 1935.
AS you are aware, Ibn Saud makes it his annual practice to give a great
banquet in Mecca for notable pilgrims of all nations just before the pilgrimage.
I find that I sent no separate report on this event last year, but I included some
account of it in my despatch No. 85 of the 31st March, 1934, on the Saudi Yemen
situation. This year the occasion merits separate treatment.
2. This year's pilgrimage has brought to the Hejaz an unusually large
number of Moslems of high standing and a good many politicians of less note, but
of some importance in their own countries. The former have included ex-King
Amanullah of Afghanistan; His Highness the Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. of Bahawalpur; the
chief Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. of his Exalted Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad, with Sir Nizamat
Jung in attendance; another Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. of the Hyderabad family; the Glawi from
Morocco; Abdullah-bin- Wazir Minister. , the Governor of Hodeida, who was here last
year as Yemeni delegate at the peace negotiations; Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Sir Umar Nayat Khan,
honorary A.D.C. to His Majesty the King; and a brother of the Sheikh of Dibai.
3. Most of the male personages just mentioned were among the 500 guests
or so whom the King entertained on the evening of the 12th March. As the
King had arrived only on the 10th March, the arrangements were made hurriedly.
Among the absentees were the Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. of Bahawalpur, who pleaded illness, and
Sir Umar Nayat Khan, the reasons for whose non-appearance I do not know.
The Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. may have been worried about questions of precedence, but members
of his suite attended the dinner. The King had ex-King Amanullah on his right,
with Sayyid Hasan-al-Idrisi, and, I believe, the Glawi beyond. The second
place of honour on his left was given very significantly to Abdullah-al- Wazir Minister. .
4. The King's principal speech' was reproduced, as usual, in the
Umm-al-Qura, probably in an edited version. The published version is not
worth submitting to you in full, but a few points may be noted. He began with
his customary exhortations and insistence on the importance of close adherence
to Moslem tenets, especially the doctrine of the Unity. He and his were Bedouins,
possessing nought except the blessing of God and desiring the co-opeiation
of Arabs and Moslems. The King then spoke of the events of last year an
referred speciallv to the past enmity between himself and the Idiisi and Ai Wazii,
who were now sitting at his table. The war had shown, he said, the disadvantages
of discord to both sides. Moslems generally had welcomed the peaceiul ending
and he invited them all to work together. The most interesting passage m is
speech was that in which he scouted the idea that foreign influence had caused
the quarrel. Moslems and Arabs were themselves responsible for their differences.
In their press utterances they raged rudely against each other but were polite to
occidentals. If they respected themselves, co-operated and fo owe e ng
path they would succeed. . . , , • f i
5. Ex-King Amanullah delivered a speech which was also reported m the
Umm-al-Qura, but in a very anodyne form.. The published c "s no
mention of his two principal points in trying to make whic e r RP .
bricks. He urged the desirability of general Moslem coMerences at p lgnmiigc
time, and boiled when his remarks were coldly received. You will lemembe
that Ibn Sand convened such a conference in 1926 and ^ "f' e fV,? t P trfffio in
embarrassing experiment. Amanullah Khan s othei po nt
slaves was all wrong and should be abolished in au Irn- l ip • itself
was clearly ill chosen for the expression of this sentiment, so admirable m i e ,
and means were found to silence the orator. ^ ^ pi,, Hi no- bv
6. There were, I understand numerous ^
a speaker whom I have not identified, . w ^ • i rgnort besides the King-
Afghanistan. The only orators named m the official repoit, besides the g
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