Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎80r] (160/802)

5
of the pilgrimage month of Dhu’l Hijja, nominally because the drought in Nejd
had dried up or spoiled the water in his favourite wells, but, in reality, because
he wishes to be near at hand if there should be trouble in the Yemen.
382. The journal of the Royal Geographical Society records with satisfac
tion the news of Mr. Philby’s expedition to Najran and Shabwa. The writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. of
the note was not to know that Mr. Philby visited Shabwa without warning with
a strong Saudi escort, though Shabwa is well within the Aden Protectorate. His
Majesty’s Minister spoke of this matter to Fuad Bey Hamza as soon as he
returned and asked for an explanation. Fuad Bey said that the only information
he had was that published in the Egyptian papers, though he knew that Mr. Philby
had talked about visiting Najran and also Shabwa, which Miss Stark and a
German had failed to reach. In any case he could never have replied on a matter
of such importance without reference to Ibn Saud. By the time the reply was
received His Majesty’s Minister was able to inform Fuad Bey that His Majesty’s
Government were now being reproached by the Imam for the entry of Mr. Philby
into the Yemen with the Saudi armed party. The reply was not received by the
end of the month, but to complete the record it may be stated that Ibn Saud
declares that he did not know Mr. Philby was going south of Najran, and throws
on him all the responsibility for his excursion outside Saudi Arabia.
III .—Relations with Powers outside Arabia.
383. The new Turkish Charge d’Affaires, M. Palsay, presented his
credentials on the 7th November. Either M. Palsay or his Government is easily
satisfied, for the credentials were presented not to the Amir Feisal, who as
Viceroy receives the foreign representatives on first arrival if Ibn Saud is away
at Riyadh, but to Sheikh Hamad Suleiman, who was described in the
Umm-al-Qura on this occasion as “ acting Minister for Foreign Affairs,” but so
far as is known to the Legation had merely been authorised (paragraph 330) to
sign letters from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the absence of every other
official of consequence from Mecca. The Turkish consul, Talaat Acar (i.e., Ajar)
left on the 4th November, nominally on leave, but it is believed that he will not
return. Since M. Palsay’s arrival the Turkish Legation, which began a year ago
(paragraph 347, October 1935), to fly the Turkish flag on Sundays, instead of
Fridays, now flies its flag both on Sunday and on Friday.
384. The journey from Bagdad of the Netherlands Charge d’Affaires to
Iraq and Saudi Arabia, M. Adriaanse, ended at Jedda on the 15th November.
He saw Ibn Saud at Riyadh on the 8 th November, and, according to the
Umm-al-Qura, sent him the next day “ a present from Her Majesty the Queen of
the Netherlands, viz., the highest class of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.”
He received from Ibn Saud the present of an Arab mare. He returns from the
active social life of Bagdad with feelings divided between gratitude for the hand
some hospitality that he enjoyed and relief at sinking back into the peaceful, if
primitive, life which the foreign community lives in Jedda.
385. On the 18th November Nahas Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Fuad Bey Hamza exchanged
in Cairo notes embodying the results of the friendly negotiations provided for in
article VI of the Treaty of Cairo of May 1936 for the settlement of outstanding
questions. The points dealt with in the notes are three in number :—
( 1 ) The sending of the Mahmal and the Kiswa from Egypt is to be resumed
with effect from the forthcoming pilgrimage. The Mahmal is to
remain in Jedda, where the Eiswa will be taken over by the Saudi
authorities in ceremonial fashion. The Kiswa is to bear an inscription
saying that it was presented to the Holy Kaaba in the reign of His
Majesty King Abdul Aziz-al-Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
(2) The distribution of alms to the poor of the Hejaz and the distribution in
the Hejaz of the surplus of the Waqfs of the two Holy Places are to
be resumed with effect from the forthcoming pilgrimage.
(3) Egyptians who were resident in Saudi Arabia when the Hejaz
Nationality Law was promulgated and Saudis who were resident in
Egypt at the time of the promulgation of the Egyptian Nationality
Law are to have the right to opt, within six months from the date of
the exchange of notes, for Egyptian or Saudi nationality.