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'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎14v] (28/536)

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The record is made up of 1 file (266 folios). It was created in Jul 1931-Dec 1934. 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. .

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20
I
n
5. This coup made a profound local impression. Although such action
by the Government is not unknown in Jeddah, it had never been carried
but on such a grand scale. It soon became evident however that, whereas
some five thousand pounds worth of benzine was removed that night, the
theft was in reality much greater. It had been continuing for some time;
the official returns of stocks bounded in the Government warehouse had
been systematically falsified. It transpired furthermore that, in order to
cloak the process, the Shell and Standard Oil Companys’ agents had been
denied access to their Stocks for purposes of verification, on the plea that
the storekeeper had gone to Taif and had taken his keys with him. Having
current supplies in hand they had weakly accepted the plea. They now
found that they had lost twelve thousand pounds worth of Shell benzine
and four thousand pounds of Standard oil. Sharqieh, Ltd., awaited
Mr. Philbv’s return from Riadh—he was shortly expected. Messrs.
Gellatly, Hankey and Co. at once protested ito the local authorities, who
in their turn protested complete innocence and ignorance of the whole
affair. His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires therefore used the expedient of a
telegram in plain English to the Minister for Foreign Affairs at Taif, an
effective means in a country where there is no Press and the authorities are
consequently sensitive to publicity. An arrangement was forthwith nego
tiated by ’Abdullah Suleman wfth Ithe Shell agents, by which he admitted
resoonsibility and with the financial terms of which the agents were well
pleased. The Government’s guilt thus established, His Majesty’s Chargd
d’Affaires, with the approval of His Majesty’s Government, registered an
official protest and requested a formal assurance that such high-handed
action would not be resorted to again.
6 . September 13th was also marked by the spedtacular collapse of the
Hejaz Air Force. ’Planes were required at Jizan to overawe both the
Imam of Yemen and the dissidents of Asir. The only remaining British
pilot, Mr. Lowe, had developed ear trouble, therefore he could not fly. A
young Syrian adventurer, recently engaged as a pilot on the strength of
his declared ability to fly a Noth, broke down at the prospect of flying a
Wapiti; he was flogged and jailed, whereupon the French Charge d’Affaires
at once became interested. A Turkish pecudo-mechanic, who also betrayed
hesitation, was mauled by the Nejdi garrison but escaped into the Turkish
Legation, where he was given refuge. Finally a German e#-War pilot,
who had been keeping a myopic eye on the machines since the departure
of Messrs. Morris and North, was persuaded by the General Officer Com
manding the Hejaz Army (accompanied by 50 troops) to leave his bed where
he lay ill with dysentery, and set out to fly to Jizan. After a few minutes
he was seen to turn back. Above Jedda he shut off his engine and fainted,
and the machine glided on its slots into the lagoon. The pilot survived;
the German Consul intervened; and the Hejaz Air Force lay hors de
combat, a position which it has since maintained.
7. The benzine coup and the air force collapse shook the morale of
Government employees and titilated the expectations of the rest. The
urban populations of the Hejaz were heartily sick of the Saudi regime.
At Medina there was acute distress amounting almost to famine conditions.
At Mecca people were beginning to go hungry. In Jedda the populace
was in a poor way, while the landlord and merchant classes were exasperated
almost beyond measure by, the extortions of ’Abdullah Suleyman. But
there was neither leader nor the courage to rebel. Uti was hoped that the
benzine incident would make trouble for the Sa’udi authorities and the
belief was naturally fostered that the faidure of the air force was the
result of foreiem intervention. The silver rival exchange rapidly fell to
17 to the £. Traffic ceased, since there was no motor fuel; the mails had
to go by donkev. Further advances bv the Imam Yahya were reported
and open hostilities were expected within the week. An appreciation of
the general situation made on September 19th is given in paragraph 65.
8 . Certain colleagues were for making joint representations to the
Hejazi Government about the air force personnel, but His Majesty’s
Charge d’Affaires declined to co-operate and urged rather the need of

About this item

Content

The file contains intelligence reports on the Kingdom of Hejaz, Najd and its Dependencies (after September 1932, Saudi Arabia) written by the British Legation at Jeddah.

Between July 1931 and December 1932 the reports are issued every two months, with the exception of the January-March 1932 and April 1932 reports. From January 1933 the reports are sent on a monthly basis.

Between July 1931 and December 1932, each report is divided into sections, numbered with Roman numerals from I to IX, as follows: Internal Affairs; Frontier Questions; Relations with States outside Arabia; Air Matters; Military Matters; Naval Matters; Pilgrimage; Slavery; and Miscellaneous. Each section is then further divided into parts relating to a particular matter or place, under a sub-heading. Some reports contain an annex.

From January 1933, when the reports become monthly, they take a new format. Each is divided into sections, as follows: Internal Affairs; Frontier Questions and Foreign Relations in Arabia; Relations with Powers Outside Arabia; Miscellaneous (often containing information on slavery and the pilgrimage).

Most reports are preceded by the covering letters from the Government of India, who distributed them to Political Offices in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and elsewhere, and the original covering letter from the Jeddah Legation, who would send them to the Government of India and Government departments in London. From May 1933, most reports were sent directly to 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. at Bahrain from Jeddah.

Up until January 1933, each report began with an index giving a breakdown of the sections with references to the corresponding paragraph number. From January 1933 onwards no index is included.

Extent and format
1 file (266 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are 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. An additional incomplete foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 6-11; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎14v] (28/536), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/295, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025543724.0x00001d> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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