Skip to item: of 434
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [‎142v] (284/434)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (214 folios). It was created in 31 Aug 1933-20 Mar 1939. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

57
in the operation of American companies in Saudi-Arabia were not likely
to take any active steps and he for his part would like to see His Maiesty’s
Government increasing their own influence in Saudi-Arabia. Both he
and Lord C astle Stewart agreed that it probably would not do to give any
appearance of running after the Saudis and they disclaimed any suggestion
that His Majesty’s Government should enter into competition with the
Italians and the French in presenting aeroplanes to the Saudis. What
they were really afraid of I think was that the Italians might at some
future stage try to get hold of the landing grounds which the Saudi-
Arabian Mining Syndicate is making for its own use within its concession
area. They suggested that it would be well worth while for His Majesty’s
Government to consider whether the Saudis could not be attracted to this
country more by an offer of facilities for training air pilots in the United
Kingdom. I said that I thought there might be difficulties about this as
His Majesty’s Government’s own hands were pretty full at present with
air force expansion. However, I said that we would certainly consider
whether anything on the lines suggested w T as feasible.
Lord Castle Stewart said that the company had met with a certain
amount of difficulty from the health point of view. A number of their
employees had suffered from undefined illnesses and one or two had died.
The company were therefore taking steps to engage the services of an
expert from the London School of Tropical Medicine to make a special study
which would last for some months. They would propose to present the
results of this study to the Saudi Government and it occurred to Lord
Castle Stewart that one way of extending our influence would be in the
field of medicine in Saudi Arabia. He seemed to have some idea of estab
lishing a permanent medical adviser to the company who would also give
the benefit of his advice to the Saudi authorities. I said that the idea of
communicating to the Saudi Government the results of any expert investi
gation which the company might undertake seemed to me a useful one.
As to the establishment of any permanent medical advisers I advised
Lord Castle Stewart to keep in the closest touch with His Majesty’s
Legation at Jedda in view of the difficulties which the Saudis seemed in
clined to place in the way of foreign practitioners at the moment. I
advised him to look very closely into the regulations which had recently
been issued in regard to medical practitioners and foreign dispensaries
and to make quite sure of keeping within the law of such regulations.
(Signed) J. C. STERNDALE BENNETT.
The 10th August 1936. f
Letter from the British Legation, Jedda, to the Foreign Office,
No. 267, dated 12th September 1936. ^
I have the honour to refer to your printed despatch No. 215 of the
20 th August transmitting the record of Mr. Sterndale-Bennett’s interview
with Lord Castle Stewart and Mr. K. S. Twitchell of the 5th August, and
in accordance with your instructinons to furnish my observations on the
various questions touched on during the conversation.
2 . It is interesting to observe that the Saudi Arabian Mining
Syndicate's London officials were apparently well-satisfied with the pro
gress made so far in this country and that they had hitherto encountered
no serious difficulties. The claim that the prospects at Wejh are en
couraging is made here with some confidence, but as regards the Mahd-
ad-l)hahab I have for some time derived the impression from certain
members of the Syndicate’s personnel that the future of these workings
depends entirely on whether an adequate water supply can be assured.
That the London Board regard the question as one of great importance
would appear from the fa^ that since I reported on this subject in my
despatch No. 225 of the 28th July last [S. No. (67)], they have sent out.

About this item

Content

The file contains the Foreign Office confidential prints of the Arabia Series for the years 1933 to 1938. It includes correspondence, memoranda, and extracts from newspapers. The correspondence is principally between the British Legation in Jedda and the Foreign Office. Other correspondents include British diplomatic, political, and military offices, foreign diplomats, heads of state, tribal leaders, corporations, and individuals in the Middle East region.

Each annual series is composed of several numbered serials that are often connected to a particular subject. The file covers many subjects related to the affairs of Saudi Arabia.

Included in the file are the following:

  • a memorandum on Arab Unity produced by the Foreign Office dated 12 June 1933 (author unknown), folios 11-13;
  • a memorandum on petroleum in Arabia produced by the Petroleum Department dated 5 August 1933 (author unknown), folios 23-26;
  • a record of interviews with Ibn Sa‘ūd, King of Saudi Arabia, conducted by Reader Bullard and George William Rendel between 20 and 22 March 1937;
  • a memorandum on Yemen by Captain B W Seager, the Frontier Officer, dated 20 July 1937;
  • several records of proceedings of ships on patrol in the Red Sea, including that of HMS Penzance , Hastings , Colombo , Bideford , and Londonderry .

Folios 213-15 are internal office notes.

Extent and format
1 file (214 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 217; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-215; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [‎142v] (284/434), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/310, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025548487.0x000055> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025548487.0x000055">'File 8/15 Arab Series - 1933-1939' [&lrm;142v] (284/434)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025548487.0x000055">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x000115/IOR_R_15_2_310_0284.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x000115/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image