'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎89r] (177/536)

Amir Abdullah might be useful, and the possibility of further measures to
restrain anti-Saudi activities in Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan and other countries under British
control or influence. Preliminary conclusions were reached on these subjects.
It is unnecessary to describe them in detail, as, though important, they are
subsidiary to the main purpose.
20. It remains to pursue the above matters in suitable order, beginning
with mutual recognition, with the Saudi Government.
21. According to an article in the Umm-al-Qura of the 17th February,
Ibn Saud’s envoy to the Imam Yahya had then got back with the Imam’s reply
to a letter which he had delivered on behalf of Ibn Saud. The reply, as
reproduced, probably only in part, in the article, is friendly, pious and vague.
It, however, intimates acceptance of “ four points ” stated by the King, subject
to details added by the Imam, who is said to have asked Ibn Saud to send
authorised delegates to conclude a final agreement.
22. This letter from the Imam must have been written about the beginning
of the year. Subsequently, the escape of the Idrisi into the Yemen (see
paragraph 16) created a more acute situation. Fuad Bey told Sir Andrew Ryan,
on the 2nd February, that there was danger of complications unless the Imam
surrendered the Idrisi, as he was bound to do under the treaty concluded in
December 1931. Sir Andrew Ryan suggested that, as the Idrisi was stated to
have no serious following, the matter should be dealt with as a simple question
of extradition, not as a possible cause of conflict. On the 9th February,
Fuad Bey said that the King had reached the same conclusion, and that the
Imam had now agreed to surrender the Idrisi subject to his being pardoned and
well treated, a request to which the King acceded. Secret reports about the
same time suggested that the real situation between the King and the Imam was
much more strained. Fuad Bey’s version was restated in an amplified form
(according to which the King had promised amnesty to all the fugitives in the
Yemen), in the official Saudi communique of the 24th February, but"there was no
news up to the end of the month of the actual surrender of the* rebels.
Chapter III .—Relations with Powers outside Arabia.
23. Sir Andrew Ryan had friendly conversations with Fuad Bey Hamza
on the 2nd February, mainly about Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan questions and the Asir Yemen
situation (paragraphs 16 and 22). The Amir Feisal came to Jedda on the
7th February. It was currently, though probably falsely, believed that he had
come to see the Minister before his departure for Jerusalem. The Prince received
him and Mr. Hope Gill very amiably, but seemed listless.
24. Considerable emotion was caused in the latter part of the month by a
report that the Soviet Minister had at last brought off an agreement with the
Saudi Government, and secured a partial or total removal of the embargo on
diiect trade from Russia, using as a lever the claim of the Soviet for payment
for some £30,000 worth of benzine and petroleum supplied under a special
contract towards the end of 1931. It was understood that the claim would be
met by a partial or total remission of duty on goods to be imported from Russia
for sale on the Hejazi market. Nothing further could be ascertained up to the
end of the month, but it was generally believed that the deal had been completed.
It Russian goods come freely into the Hejaz, it will dislocate the trade from other
supplying countries, e.g., Australia, which has done a tidy business in flour, and
India, which has normally, though of late in a decreasing measure, supplied
many Hejazi requirements. The articles most spoken of are flour, sugar and
matches. It is doubtful whether Russia can establish a grip of the market for
petroleum products, in view of the commitments of the Saudi Government to
other interests, including Shell.
25 ; There is little else worth recording under this head. The Netherlands
Charge d Affaires left for l^ana on the 14th February to deliver a letter from
Queen Wilhelmina to the Imam. The French * Charge d’Affaires left
unexpectedly, seemingly for Syria, on the 24th February, the reasons beino-
unknown. There was no obvious deterioration of relations between the Saudi
Government and Italy, despite the suspicion bred in Ibn Saud’s mind by the
Italians affection for the Imam and the tolerance shown to anti-Saudi
conspirators m Eritrea.