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had long been little more than a translation bureau ^hence news and opmions
collected from the Arabic newspapers m the Near and Middle East could be suit
to Moscow.
189. His Majesty’s Government were very sceptical about Soviet
indignation at the' Anglo-Italian Agreement as the real ground fo> thei
decision, and suggested that the closing of the Soviet Legation in » w as
part of the general policy of the Soviet Government to reduce the number of
points of contact with the foreign world, as evinced for instance, by the e g
of the Soviet Consulates in Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan. H's Mai est y -
Ambassador in Moscow suggested that perhaps one reason was nqmdatio
of the Soviet Minister, M. Khakimoff (then on leave), by methods less ciude t ,
those usually employed. The grounds for the scepticism felt by His Majesty s
Government were conveyed to the Saudi Government who appeared to be equal y
sceptical In point of fact, when the time came to leave, M Fattahoff and his
secretary, M. Litvin, explained the closing of the legation as due to lack of work
and consequent waste of money, and said that relations between the Sau
Arabian Government and Soviet Russia were not being severed but would be
maintained through the representatives of the two countries m London.
190 M. Fattahoff first went to San’a, where he closed down the trade
delegation and withdrew the Soviet lady doctor who had been working there On
his return to Jedda he notified his colleagues that the legation would be closed
as from the 11th September, on which he and his staff would leave Jedda.
departure was marred by the refusal of the legation doctor. Dr. Stepukoff to
leave Jedda on the ground that his return to Soviet Russia would mean his
execution. M. Fattahoff delayed his departure for two days m the hope of
inducing the doctor to change his mind, but without effect. Dr Stepukoff, w
is popular as a medical man, has obtained the permission of Ibn Saud to practise
in Jedda.
191 According to Dr. Stepukoff, what decided him not to return to Soviet
Russia was the fate of several persons formerly connected with the Soviet
Legation in Jedda. He declares that the Soviet Minister M. Khakimoff his
predecessor M Turakuloff, and an employee named Tuimetoft and Ins wife, have
all been executed. Whether this is for failure to make any converts to Marxism
in the Hejaz or for some other reason is not known, but the Soviet piopagauda,
if there was any, had no effect.
Spain.
192 Several hundred subsidised pilgrims from the Spanish Zone of
Morocco arrived for the 1937-38 pilgrimage on a. vessel flying the Franco flag.
They were much less in evidence in the Hejaz than those of the year before and
if they made efforts to engage in propaganda, they had no efiect on the Mecca
press.' They were again looked after by a Franco official attached to the Italian
Legation.
193 News was received from Benghazi that a certain Hainan Mohammed-
bin-Mohammed Ben Amer had been appointed consul-general for Nationalist
Spain at Jedda. but, so far as the legation could learn, he never reached the Hejaz_
Fuad Bev stated that the 7 *e could be no such appointment as Saudi Ar abia had
no relations with insurgent Spain—or with the Spanish Government eithei% for
that matter. A Moorish propagandist for General Franco, Ahmad-bm-Seddiq,
came to the Hejaz early in the year on a short visit, but it is not believed that his
efforts, such as they were, had any great effect.
Afghanistan.
194 A falling off in the number of Afghan pilgrims, which was probably
entirely'due to the fall in the Afghan exchange, was attributed by the Saudi
authorities to action by the Afghan Government stimulated by the malevolence
of the Afghan Minister, with whom there had been trouble about a house at Taif
three years before, and this led to a dispute which, it was believed, might lead to
the withdrawal of the minister. The dispute was smoothed over outwardly, but
resentment at the loss of revenue remained in the heart of the Saudi Minister of
Finance.