'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [‎121v] (242/434)

yet been officially aitnotincedf to his colleagues in Jedda but I understand that the'
new Legation is to be inaugurated with some ceremony on M. Maigret’s return and
that the d'Iberville which has on board Hear Rivet, Commanding Officer of the
French naval division in the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. , will stay for the celebration. I believe that
Ibn baud intends to come to the Hejaz a few days ear.ier than he need do to attend
the Pilgrimage and will visit Jedda to receive the credentials of no less than three
Ministers, viz., M. Maigret, the recently arrived Minister of the U. S. S. R. (see my
despatch No. 358 of 17th December 1935) and the Iranian IVlinister, whose arrival
1 am reporting in a separate despatch.
3. I have thought these developments worthy of being recorded in a spec'al
report but I doubt whether any real political significance attaches either to M*
Maigret s visit to San a or to the changes affecting the French representaLon in
Jedda. As you are aware M. Maigret plays no important role here. He is a fairly
well-informed observer of events but he has not visited France for some years and
continues to give the impression of having little pull with the French Government.
He has a much greater connexion with Syria and the French authorities there.
He has vague leanings towards Islam and is, I think, on the best of terms with
King Abdul Aziz and the Saudi Government but even with them he does
not apper to carry much weight. I believe that the creation of a Legation and M.
Maigret’s promotion are more than anything else the realisation of his own moderate
ambitions and would have taken place sooner but for financial consideration in
Paris.
(29)
(Received on 26th April 1936, with Political Secretary's letter No. 15, dated the 9th
April 1936.)
Enclosure in Foreign Office Governing letter dated the 30th March 1936.
Letter from His Majesty’s Ambassadar, Baghdad, to the Foreign Office,
No. 115 (299/1/36), dated the 29th February 1936.
With reference to my despatch No. 589 of the 6th November 1935 [Serial No,
(3)], I have the honour to inform you that a second party of Yamani students
arrived in Bagdad a few days ago,
2 . According to the local press there were ten young men in the party of whom
four have been sent to the training college for rural school teachers, five to ele
mentary schools and one to an intermediate school.
3. Six of them are said to be paying their own expenses, but the others have
scholarships provided by the Government of the Yaman.
4. I am sending copies of this despatch to His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda and
to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Aden.
(30)
(Received on 10th May 1936, with Political Secretary's letter No. 17, dated the 23rd
April 1936.)
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter dated the 20th April 1936.
Letter from His Majesty’s Minister Jedda, to the Foreign Office, No.
52 (384/121/8), dated the 28th February 1936.
With reference to my despatch No. 358 of December 17th, 1935, I have the
honour to state that Monsieur Karim Khakimov, the new Soviet Minister here
arrived in Jedda on January 21st, accompanied by the Secretary, Monsieur Ali
(not Galei) Fattahov, the person referred to in Lord Chilston’s telegram No. 165 of
December 21st.
2 . M. Khak'mov presented his letters of credence to King Abdul-Aziz on
February 25th.
3. The new Minister, of whom we have seen a little since his arrival, promises
to be an agreeable colleague. He speaks French rather imperfectly, English not
at all and Arabic and Turkish fairly well. As reference was made in the enclosure
in my despatch under reference to his lack of moderation, I ought to say that it now
manifests itself in abstention rather than excess, so far as alcohol is concerned.