Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎297v] (599/1062)

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16
- - . ; v time on the 8th and 9th of this month m accordance
was celebrated toi th ^ e< ; „ sinl i lar t 0 that of last year and with equal pomp,
with a programme genera ^ . i t ion of the Egyptian press, but there was a
Oa this occasion there was ^ ^ lb n oi t y and iimnmerable photographs
> of .lonrnain i ^ mog t ac tive press representative present
sufficiency ,,— + r la
were taken by all sorts o peop • ^ • w p 0 seel ns to have his headquarters
Whose ^nlme = rs to he the S upp ly of
Enropean news to the papers of the Arab count, es
9 1 1ml received your permission to attend the banquet, which I understood
would be ^eu bf the Emir Feisal in Jedda on the evening of the 8th January,
if°} considered it politically desirable to be present, notwithstanding the mourn-
i no . ordered by His Majesty the King for the Princess Royal. I leanit later that
fere me to be four principal functions to which foreign representatives wen.
invited As the head of the only mission of first-class political importance
here I felt that any abstention on my part would be seriously misinterpreted
in Jedda and Mecca especially as 1 had had no previous opportunity of meeting
tfe Emir Feisal, who now combines the functions of Minister for Foreign Affairs
with those of Viceroy of the liejaz. 1 therefore accepted the various mvita-
-Hons One of the social functions projected, a tea party at Kandara on the
afternoon of the 8th, was in the event countermanded. Although no express
reason was given, I was told privately by Fuad Bey Hamza that this change
in the programme was intended as a mark of respeei to the memory ot the
Princess Royal. I foil: it all the more incumbent on me to attend the other
functions. In my private letter thanking Fuad Bey and expressing satisfac
tion I added that the gesture of the local authorities would be greatly
appreciated in England, and explained that I was interrupting a period, ot
mourning for an event deeply felt at home in order to be present at the various
celebrations.
3. On the morning of the 8th January, my colleagues and I called on the
Acting Governor of Jedda. Early in the afternoon the Emir Feisal. gave me
a special interview, which had been arranged by Fuad Bey. His Royal
Highness was very civil and very nervous. I cannot say that, my first im
pression of him was favourable. He has the fine features of his familv and he
does not show in his face the signs of dissipation which I expected. He lacks,
however, both the charm and the physique of his father and his elder brother,
the Emir Sand- In repose he wears a look of jaded melancholy and listlessness,
and his smiles, though agreeable, are sickly. In my own slight intercourse
with him on the 8th and 9th January, he gave little evidence of keenness or
intelligence, though I noticed that wfith his ov r n entourage he seemed confident
and quick in decision. The interpreter wdiom he employed at my private
interview was incapable. I had not intended to talk much business on such
an occasion and, owing to the difficulty of getting anything of importance
translated, I limited myself still further. I enquired as to wiiether my letters
to. Fuad Hamza and the King in connexion with the proposed visit of Colonel
Biscoe had been forwarded to Riadh and when they might he expected to arrive.
The Prince said that he had forwarded the letters, but his reply to my second
question v r as hopelessly vague. My only other attempt at business was to
appeal to the Prince on behalf of two prisoners, one a British Indian, who has
neeii detained too long on a doubtful charge, the other, a Hadrami, who mav be
guilty of a serious offence,, hut w r ho appears to have been barbarously treated. 1
emoxed hie custom oi using clemency on royal anniversaries and the Prince
promised to look into the two cases.
r ^ ie rev * ew bold by the Emir Feisal at Kandara on the afternoon of the
Mil January, presented features of interest. King Ibn Sand not long ago
appointed a certain. Nabi Bey el-Adhma to be Director of Military Organisation,
ns gem, eraan. lesrgne.d after a very short time and was replaced bv one Faudbi
l36\ cH-iYrl WOl\ il. S V7H a n rkfifiomr* i • jt m ' t
a'-gawoKj!, a Syrian officer, who formerly served in the Turkish annv and
fefet PP’ apP * a '! nt,y i vlth * ome distinction, in the Palestinian campaign- Ho
g /Y a l } poaro lave been German trained, judging by his excellent knowledge
K i Syrian revolt he w r ent over to the rebels and came
tmihr fntfe r 'i aS - a ''g ' lvfl ,,orn the French. The review afforded an oppe-
cfefe ,! a PT ? ymg th6 m «^ e res "’ ts 811 achieved in the direction of
infantry ahfetfe’on Um5 ' . The ,, mara >‘ Past was headed bv two detachments of
and to soirie evto t r n '“'.’.1" a-l.J'ather ragged information but workmanlike
varie ns ePfinm^f fo!lowed * string of pack animate -iriflj
ears whife were fnit a 5°," t l, 00 r,len m (‘barge. Then came two armoured
’ '■ lucI i were foilowed by the “ cavalry,” consisting of less than forty