'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [‎59v] (118/434)

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tlicse steamers, a vessel of some three hundred tons from Beirut formerly
named “ Andree Edde ” but now renamed “ El h'atli ” arrived off Jedda on
the 21st j\lay and sailed for Jizan two days later. The otner, also from Beirut
and to be named “ El Nasr ”, lias not yet arrived.
2. It would appear that this Company, like the ‘ Arabian Export Com
pany ’ described in my despatch No. O.lkll of the 4th April last originated in.
the fertile brain of the Minister of Einnnce, who intended at tirst to use tiie
snips for military transport, but has now conceived the idea of using them for
commerce and possibly for the transport of pilgrims in the future. Sheykh
Muhammad Serur as-Sabban, manager of the Export Co., fills the same-posh ion
in the Steam Navigation Co., and the Amir Feysal, Fuad Bey Hamza, Sheikh
Yusuf Yasin, and other notables are shareholders. The firm of Huseyn
’Awayni, a Syrian well-known connexion with the Lancashire trade and through,
his association with the projects of Mr. A. (x. Ydiibi, are to act as shipping
agents. The steamers themselves are said to have been bought from or through
a certain Haji Khalil Tabbara, described as the pilgrim agent of Messrs.
Gcllatly, Hankey & Co. (Sudan), Ltd. of Beirut.
X It is clear that the new company, while ostensibly a private concern, is
in fact primarily a Government enterprise, representing the first attempt of the
Saudi Government to enter the realms of commercial navigation. Indeed Sheykh
Yusuf Yasin, while stressing the commercial character of the Company in con
versation with me a few days ago, said that the Government had undertaken to
guarantee any loss on working; The Government may be encouraged in this
venture by the success of the motoi%car companies, which form a parallel instance
of semi private, Government-controlled concerns and which were originally in
tended for Government transport but now carry the bulk of the pilgrim traffic
within the country.
4. It may be recalled in this connexion that in the latter paid of King
Hussein’s reign, the Hashimite Government acquired at least four small vessels
of this type and employed them either for coastal work or for transport of
pilgrims, whom they sometimes forced to travel by them. Two or three of
these vessels were attached in Egypt, I believe by order of a court, in satis
faction of claims against them and efforts made by the Saudi Government to
retrieve them after the fall of Jedda were unsuccessful. Another had been
mortgaged to members of the Al-Fadhl family in Jedda and passed into their
hands. It subsequently became more or less derelict and I do-not know what lias -
happened to it.
5. I am sending copies of this desnatch to His Majesty’s Principal Secre
tary of State for Forergnr Affairs and H. M. Consul-General at Beirut..
(71>
(Received on 4th August 1934. with Political Secretary’s letter No. 29, dated'
the 19th July 1934.)
Enclosure in Admiralty covering letter, dated 13th July 1934.
Letter from the Admiralty, to the Coloxtal Offich, No. M.-01858|34, dated the
13th July 1934.
In reply to your letter to Start in of the 25th June. No. 37926134,1 am writing
to say that we concur in your draft despatch to the Resident at Aden about the
status of Kamuran. We would like, however, to suggest the addition to para-
granh 2 of the following sentence, giving the sense of the first part of naragranh
4 of the Record of the Rome Conversations of the 7th February 1927 [Serial
No. (169) in F. No, 427 (IT)-X. 126-27]
His Majesty r s Government regard it. however as a vital-imperial inter
est that no Eurooean Power should establish itself on Kamaran
Island and ihat tlm Island should not fall into the hands of an un
friendly Arab ruler.’'’
1 am- sending copW $f flu.- letter to MeClaughry Warner and Laithwaite*.