File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎350r] (704/898)

lu miles within the enemy’s lines. The Hedjaz Government have had the sense to
reject these proposals.
This money-sodden mountebank, Lutfullah, is leaving again for Rome. He has
just had time to come and tell the British, French and Italian representatives what
a close friend he is of Mr. Chamberlain, M. Briand and Signor Mussolini.
11. It appears that Indian pilgrims are coming on the “ Hajj,” via Kabigh
n Saud has stated at the last moment that Rabigh is not ready for the reception of
pilgrims and he urges them to come via Lith, but both Lith and Kunfudah are
dangerous to navigation, whereas the approach to Rabigh is fairly good, and, more
over, being on one of the main routes to Medina, Rabigh has at least shelter from the
sun.
The communiques of the Government of India, and the delay due to uncertainty,
appear to have reduced the possible number of Indian pilgrims to manageable
proportions—some 3,000 to 4,000 instead of the 10,000 or more it was feared would
come.
12. So far as Kunfudah and Lith are concerned, the Hedjaz blockade is dead.
The civil authorities have always been against it as likely to give more trouble than
it was worth, and the truth of this has been brought home to the military by several
cases where they have had to give satisfaction for foreign dhows and/or goods
wrongfully seized. In all cases but one, only Italian interests were involved; the
remaining case concerned a Kamaran dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. which was seized at Hali five or six
weeks A ago. The nakhuda has now reached Jeddah; the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. has been restored by
the Hedjaz Government and a sum paid which should cover the value of the goods
(sold in Jeddah by the Hedjaz Government) and all other claims in connectionwith
the capture.
In order to stop the trade with Mecca without falling foul of foreign Govern
ments, the Hedjaz Government have been planning an expedition to seize Kunfudah,
but they have postponed it on the ground that they have not munitions enough until
the Suez consignment arrives. It is unlikely that the expeditionary force would
survive long, if it ever managed to land. Ibn Sand’s tribes would be happy to find a
force they could get at, and the people of Kunfudah would naturally be hostile to
anyone who tried to interrupt their unusually prosperous trade.
13. Prices in Jeddah are rising rapidly, as the merchants, seeing their goods
being requisitioned without hope of payment, are importing no more. The
condenser broke down recently and water was very short for a fortnight, but it has
been patched up again.
14. Mr. Lethem, the resident of Bornu, Nigeria, spent a few days in Jeddah
investigating various questions relating to “ Takruni ” pilgrims. When studying
the slavery question he came independently to the conclusion put forward by this
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in the last pilgrimage report, viz., that people leaving for the pilgrimage
should be restrained from taking with them children or young persons under a
certain age.
15. The Hedjaz Government were much surprised to see in Reuter a statement
that Dr. Naji-el-Asil was appealing to the League of Nations and that he was
proposing to return to Jeddah to use his personal influence to put an end to the
present hostilities, and, meanwhile, was telegraphing to Ali asking him to arrange
an armistice. They have since published a communique saying that they did not
instruct Dr. Naji to take such a step and that it must, therefore, be considered a
personal move on his part.
The fact seems to be that Dr. Naji is out of funds and wants to return to collect
some more, and not liking to give this as a reason for his departure (it is unthinkable
that he should leave London without megaphoning a reason of some kind to the
waiting world), he invented the appeal to the League of Nations. He has never
telegraphed to Jeddah about the armistice, having at least sense enough for that.
One phrase he used has been seized upon eagerly here : he “ hoped he would not
have to return to Jeddah with empty hands.” The Jeddah people believe him to be
coming from the League of Nations with sacks of gold.
It would be interesting to see this mincing boulevardier using his personal
influence with Ibn Baud’s tribes :—<
£C Ghuthghuth, Ghuthghuth !—O word of fear,
Unpleasing to a humbug’s ear! ”
R. W. BULLARD.