'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎70v] (140/536)

France.
262. Mme. Maigret, the aged mother of the French Charge d'Affaires, died
in Jedda on the night of the 8th August, and was temporarily interred in the
other-than-Moslem cemetery.
263. M. Maigret, accompanied by a Syrian Christian member of his staff,
went to Taif on the 13th August for a twenty-four hours’ change. This visit,
which constitutes a breach in the practice of not allowing European representa
tives to go there, or, indeed, to any other place beyond the vicinity of Jedda, is
understood to have been made by M. Maigret in a private capacity. Both he and
M. Choukri wore iVrab dress.
Italy.
264. The Italo-Hejaz-Nejd Treaty of Friendship and Commercial Treaty
of the 10th February last (see paragraph 59), which were ratified at Rome on the
22nd April, were given the force of law in Italy as from the 3rd June, the law
being published on the 4th August. For evidence of Hejazi interest in
Sidky Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's conversations in Rome see paragraph 267.
Soviet Russia.
265. The Soviet Minister held aloof from Sir A. Ryan throughout July and
August, possibly from some obscure political motive, as their relations have always
been friendly. M. Turacoulov, who now invariably wears Arab (Nejdi) headgear,
makes not infrequent visits to Mecca. He is understood to have been pursuing
negotiations, presumably regarding a proposed Soviet loan and Hejazi trading
facilities (see paragraph 207).
T urkey.
268. The Turkish Charge d'Affaires, Lutfullah Bey, returned from leave
on the 31st August as a corpse, and was buried the same afternoon in the Moslem
cemetery and the presence of his colleagues; who, for the second time in two years,
attended a Turkish representative's funeral. The cause of his death seems to
have been an attack of tertiary malaria in the Red Sea on board a Soviet ship,
further aggravated by whisky, terminating in heart failure.
Egypt.
267. On the 31st August Fuad Bey wrote privately and confidentially to
Sir A. Ryan to draw his attention to a report in the Cairo “ Akram ” to the
effect that recent events in the Hejaz had been discussed on the occasion of
Sidky Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's visit to Rome. He asked him to seek His Majesty's Government's
views on the matter. Sir Andrew rode him off by suggesting, in a final conversa
tion before his departure on leave, that whereas Egypt had a natural interest in
Hejazi affairs, she had not, as at present governed, any such interest as would
lead her into an Arabian adventure. He added the view that, as regards Italy,
she was nowadays keenly interested in all foreign affairs, but was not interested
in the Hejaz in any such way as need cause anxiety. Fuad Bey left it at that,
but betrayed continued suspicion of the Egyptian representative at Jedda (see
paragraph 208).
/ racf.
268. The visit of the Amir Feisal's mission to Bagdad early in July
produced an amelioration of the relations between Iraq and the Hejaz-Nejd. The
question of the location of the Iraqi Legation was discussed and a tentative
agreement reached whereby it is to be at Jedda, but the Iraqi representative will
have access to Mecca and will be allowed to have an unofficial residence there.
Shortly afterwards the Iraqi Government decided to replace Dr. Naji al Asil by
a new Charge d’Affaires, Colonel Rashid Bey, Iraqi consul-general at Beirut.
Their Legation at Jedda is temporarily in charge of Abdel Kadir Bey al Gaylani,
a vice-consul from Cairo, who arrived on the 28th August, and calls himself
Charge d'Affaires. Dr. Naji's first secretary, who also has Hashimite
associations, has been transferred.