'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎29v] (58/536)

to operate. It is however, the declared intention of the Government to lump
these arrears with the general floating debt, which it is hoped to pay off in the
next two years. Inface of the penury of all classes of officials, this arrange
ment has not made any wide appeal.
14. Throughout the autumn the Legation received a stream of com
plaints from British and British Protected motor-car drivers, mostly
Somalis, who had been attracted to the country during the 1931 pilgrimage
season by the high wages offered by certain Government-controlled motor
companies but who, on being discharged after the season, had been quite
unable to obtain the balances due to them. The claims, where they appeared
genuine, were forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but, although
the Government’s liability was not contested, no claim was settled up till
the end of the year and in only two cases were the men able to make even
sacrificial arrangements with the companies. In most cases the drivers
were reduced to beggary and had to be repatriated by the Legation.
15. The Government of India debt is dealt with in paragraph 44 and
that due to Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey & Co., in paragraph 45.
16. In November His Majesty’s Government were approached by the
Ottoman Debt Council with the proposal that they, in conjunction with the
other Government signatories of the Treaty of Lausanne, should make joint
representations to the Hejaz-Nezd Government in the matter of the shares
of the Ottoman public debt due by the latter. It appeared that the Hejaz-
Nejd Government, invited by the council to settle their quota of the debt,
had replied on September 29th, refusing point-blank to recognize any res
ponsibility or to take any action in the matter. This can hardly be re
garded as surprising. His Majesty’s Government had earlier in the year
been approached by the French Government with a similar proposal of
the Council in respect of the European Governments who were similiarly
debtors, and had replied that while they agreed in principle to the proposal,
they considered the moment inopportune for the purpose. No further
action was accordingly taken in this instance, a formal acknowledgment
only being sent to the Council.
17. Economic Situation .—It was generally felt, at the end of the year,
that the economic situation could har41y have been worse. The merchants
of Jedda and Mecca had for the past two years been increasingly hard hit,
not only by trade depression but by the ever-growing volume of forced loans,’
without material prospect of repayment, extorted from them by. the Govern
ment in the guise of Sheykh ’Abdullah Suleyman. To this was now added
the uncertainty produced by monetary crises elsewhere. Prices of imported
goods had risen considerably; and as most of the necessaries of life are
imported, living was appreciably dearer. Amongst the tribes, particularly
in the Northern Hejaz, the utmost misery was reported. Their livestock,
especially camels, have been seriously depleted by Government requisitions
for military purposes; and they have been compelled by necessity to sell
off much of what remained at heavy losses. Tales of famine were rife,
although stories of Beduin dying of starvation by the hundred were doubt
less exaggerated. It became impossible, however, to discount the con
tinuous reports of hunger and increased mortality received from all sources
and all directions. <
18. Economic Development. —Mr. Twitchejl has shown great activity.
He first installed his American prospector, Mr. Moseley, near Taif, where
he remained during November and December prospecting for gold, with
results so far unknown. Mr. Twitchell then resumed work on the Waziria
Wells near Jedda (September-October Report, paragraph 16). The
American windmill pump was erected and by mid-December was producing
a regular flow of water, which at one time found its way through the old
Turkish conduit to Jedda. His success stopped there, for the conduit deve
loped serious leaks and the authorities shrank from the expenditure neces
sary to recondition it. By the end of December the hoped-for flow of water