Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎216r] (432/540)

33
succeeded in securing their removal when he went on long leave on the
11th October. The fact that he had been continuously resident in Jedda for a
very prolonged period might have afforded a sufficient explanation of his depar
ture, but His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires gained the impression that his eventual
return would depend on the issue of the negotiations which he had initiated.
^ His place was taken by a M. Horace Salkind, who, unlike the Minister, is a
non-Moslem, and could not, therefore, go in person to Mecca. This gentleman
would not appear to have made much headway during the remainder of the year.
He chiefly distinguished himself by his thirst for information about other people’s
affairs, and the direct nature of the questions by which he sought to obtain it
from his foreign colleagues and commercial residents in Jedda.
84. The Russian steamers trading between the Black Sea and the Persian
Gulf continued to call at Jedda at fairly regular intervals during the year. An
attempt was made in the early spring to popularise their use by pilgrims from
Iraq and Persia. Three sailings were attractively advertised, but the effort
was mistimed owing to the decrease in the total volume of the pilgrimage and the
action of the Persian Government in practically boycotting it. Few, if any,
pilgrims availed themselves of the Russian facilities.
(6) Germany.
85. There was little development in the relations between the German and
Hejaz-Nejd Governments in 1931, except that the young German merchant,
Herr de Haas, who settled in Jedda in 1930, was in due course appointed consul.
There was apparently some difficulty in regard to protocol, as his status, unlike
that of all other heads of missions representing Governments in normal relations
with Ibn Saud, was purely consular. It was apparently decided to recognise
him by the issue of an exequatur, probably the first given under the Saudian
regime. On the 24th March he notified the other missions of his appointment,
which was apparently limited to the Hejaz. In conversation with Sir A. Ryan
about that time he foreshadowed the possibility of a career consul being appointed
later, perhaps in a year. Herr de Haas was a good deal absent from Jedda for
family and business reasons during the remainder of the year. His commercial
enterprises seem to have been disappointing. Other German commercial activity
in the Hejaz continued on the same lines as those described in paragraph 84 of
the annual report for 1930.
(7) Poland.
86. There were no signs in 1931 of any development of the relations
established with something of a splash in May 1930 between Poland and
Hejaz-Nejd. It is more than doubtful whether any further payments were made
during the year in respect of the arms, &c., supplied in the summer of that year,
for which one-half of the total sum of £80,000 involved was paid at the time of
delivery. There was an unconfirmed rumour towards the end of the year that the
Hejazi Government were taking steps to recruit new staff for the Hejaz Air
Force in Poland, after the breakdown of the negotiations w T ith His Majesty’s
Government described in paragraph 165.
(8) Sweden.
87. Reference is made in paragraph 150 to the one contact between Sweden
and Hejaz-Nejd in 1931, when the Hejazi Government put forward and
eventually withdrew a request for the assistance of a Swedish technical mission to
prospect for minerals.
(9) Denmark.
88. There are no relations between Denmark and Hejaz-Nejd, but mention
may be made of a single incident, in which His Majesty’s Government in the
United Kingdom used their good offices on behalf of the Danish Government.
This was the disappearance of a foolishly adventurous young Dane,
Knud Holmboe, who, having embraced Islam, entered the Hejaz 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 in the neighbourhood of Aqaba, in about October, intending, it
appeared, to make his way to the Holy Cities. His Majesty’s Legation in Jedda
[7104] " d