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(10) Persia.
97. A new Persian representative arrived in Jedda in January. He
proved to have been appointed a full Minister, but this increase in the standing
of the head of the mission produced no apparent change in the negative character
of the relations between the two countries. Saudi apprehensions in regard to the^
eventual policy of Persia have been mentioned in the preceding paragraph. It
may be noted in this connexion that, when giving expression to Ibn Saud’s anxiety
in London, Fuad Bey Hamza mentioned the Persian claim to Bahrein and the
creation of a Persian navy in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . He defined his view as being
that as an Arab he would like to see Bahrein develop into an independent Arab
unit, but he had no desire in the meantime to see Persia establish a claim in
opposition to His Majesty’s Government.
(11) Afghanistan.
98. The Afghan Minister at Cairo comes every year on pilgrimage.
Advantage was taken of this to exchange the ratifications of the Saudi Afghan
Treaty of the 5th May, 1932, in Mecca on the 1st April, 1934. The treaty was, in
due course, published. It presented few features of special interest. There was
no other development in the political relations between the two countries. A
gentleman who was believed to be a new Afghan consul in Bombay visited the
Hejaz as a pilgrim and was understood to have inherited the consular position
in Jedda, which had been conferred on his predecessor at Bombay in 1933. No
official announcement was made, however. He stayed a very short time and did
not reveal himself as a consul, except by asking for special facilities for his
return voyage to India. Saudi interest in stimulating the pilgrimage from
Afghanistan may have had something to do with the visit to Kabul of a member
of the Moslem firm which represents Messrs. Turner, Morrison, and Co. of
Bombay at Jedda, but it was probably at least as much due to the commercial
interest of the company in getting as many pilgrims as possible to use their ships.
(12) Ethiopia.
99. An Ethiopian mission visited first the Yemen and then the Hejaz in
June and July. It was headed by M. David Hall, a gentleman of mixed
European (but not British) and Abyssinian origin. He apparently brought
letters from the Emperor of Abyssinia expressing his regret that Ibn Saud and
the Imam were at war and his hopes for the early termination of hostilities. This
hope had been realised before the mission reached Taif, and if it had any less
altruistic objects, such as the conclusion of a treaty, as was suggested, it was not
achieved. The party were very civilly received and departed with great celerity.
Its chief interest for the Saudi Government was that they believed it to be the
first Ethiopian mission to visit Arabia since the beginnings of Islam, when the
Prophet and his followers had curious and friendly relations with the Negus.
(13) The United States of America.
100. No further steps were taken in 1934 to develop the meagre political
relations described in previous reports or to appoint an official representative of
the United States in Saudi Arabia. The only important American interest in
the country is still that of the subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of
California concerned in the Hasa Oil Concession. A short account of its
activities will be given in paragraph 139 below.
101. Reference is made in paragraph 56 to the interest displayed by the
United States Government in the question of Ibn Saud’s eastern boundaries.
Their enquiries, which were made in Angora, were obviously connected with the
position of the California Arabian Standard Oil Company. The company’s local
representatives on at least one occasion crossed the blue line ” in the course of
their prospecting.