Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎98v] (197/540)

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violation of the Saudi- 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 frontier at Alqan by two Royal Air Force
planes. On investigation, it appeared that no violation had, in fact, taken place.
An allegation that a British machine from 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 had crossed into Saudi
Aiabia near Haditha on the 22nd November was still being studied at the end
of the year.
^l^hough it neither caused nor was alleged to have caused any
wolation of Saudi territory, the forced landing on the mainland near Bahrein
of the Imperial Airways machine Horsa may be mentioned here. On receipt of
information tending to show that the machine had come down in Saudi territory,
the usual note of apology was addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but
^ WaS l oca ^ e( ^ a point some 40 miles south of Salwa wells, a point
^ell within territory the subject of dispute between His Majesty’s Government
n ^ au( ^‘ instructions from the Foreign Office, His Majesty’s Charge
d Affaires orally informed the Saudi Arab Government of the approximate
position of the aircraft, explained that steps were being taken to carry out the
necessaiy lepairs, which would involve flights by the Imperial Airways and the
Ro^al Aii 1 Force, and requested that any of Ibn Sand’s tribesmen likely to
approach the spot should be warned of what was being done, to obviate the risk
ol untoward incidents. 1 he Saudi Arab Government raised no objection and
the Horsa, after undergoing repair, arrived at Bahrein on the 12th September.
Subscriptions are being asked for aeroplanes for defence, and it is
believed that the authorities also favour the use of aeroplanes for official journevs,
for which in a country with no roads and its main administrative centres
separated from each other by long stretches of sparsely populated country, they
would be useful; but it is doubtful whether Saudi Arabia is capable of
establishing and maintaining an air force even for civil purposes. Such a force
would i equiie elements not to be found in Saudi Arabia. It would be even more
difficult to train Saudi candidates as aeroplane mechanics than it has proved to
produce the “ eagle ” pilots, and most difficult of all to keep pilots and mechanics
up to the minimum standard in a country where pay is low and always heavily
in arrears, where there is no homogeneous body of public servants to maintain
the dignity and zeal of its members, and where almost the highest authorities
have to be appealed to for the issue of oil and petrol for a series of fliohts, or even
sometimes for a single flight.
VI.— Press.
149. The two Mecca weeklies, the Umm-al-Qura and the Saut-al-Hejaz,
continued to be the only newspapers, with the possible exception of periodicals
of purely religious interest, appearing in Saudi Arabia. The editor of the
Saut-al-Hejaz stated on one occasion that, as the circulation of his paper was
only 1,600 copies, of which 600 to 700 are sold in Mecca and 100 to 200 in Jedda,
while a good many aie distributed free, it owes its existence to the Government’s
financial aid and therefore dare not publish anything displeasing to it The
same is no doubt true of the Umm-al-Qura. But in any case, what activity in
Saudi Arabia is free from Ibn Sand’s control that the press should escape it?
The Saut-al-Hejaz is produced by the “Arab Press and Publications Company
(Limited).” This company, which is reported to have a capital of 22,000 Saudi
piasties, half paid up, published its first report on the 28th April, showin°’ a
handsome profit, but the shareholders, who include Sheikh Yusuf ’ Yasin, the
King s secretary, weie asked to pay up the other half of the capital. A new issue
was to be made with the object of buying a new printing press.
150. J hanks to the close control under which they work, the newspapers
published nothing but colourless news about the Italo-Ethiopian war. Even the
troubles in Palestine drew no reference, except lists of subscriptions for the
sufferers, until the disorders were called off, when they said just enough to show
wheie then sympathies lay. Two items taken from the propaganda newspapers
distributed by the Italian Legation were noticed in one issue of the Saut-al-Hejaz
but they contained nothing but Italian self-glorification; they did not attack
Great Britain.
151. Both newspapers contain up-to-date news from foreign countries.
These are taken from the various wireless broadcasts, including those of the
B.B.C., in spite of the “ world copyright reserved by Reuter.”