"ملف 8/7 I تقارير الاستخبارات في جدة" [و‎‎٣‎٢] (٥٣٦/٦٣)

III.—RELATIONS WITH STATES OUTSIDE ARABIA.
43. British Empire. —Relations were normal. They centred round the
Trans-Jordan frontier the Hejaz Air Force, and Ibn Sa’ud’s debts. The
first-named has been dealt with in paragraphs 32 to 37. Air matters are
reported in paragraphs 55 to 60 below. It is convenient to mention the
debts here.
44. At the end of his conversation with His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires
on the 13th Noveinber (see paragraph 4 above), the Hejazi Under Secretary
for Foreign Affairs preferred a request that His Majesty’s Government
would allow the 1929 debt of £30,000 owing to the Government of India to
be- included in the virtual moratorium and placed on a basis of equality with
the wliole of llejazi-Nejd indebtedness. Mr. Hope Gill replied that lie
would communicate the request to His Majesty’s Government but that
facts and figures would certainly be required. Fuad Bey was in no posi
tion, however, to say what the other indebtedness was, either by categorv or
in total, but he thought that it would be possible to liquidate it all in 2
years. This meagre information^was telegraphed to London.
45. Mr. Hope Gill then reminded Fuad Bey of the benzine debt of
C 13.000 to Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey, & Co., which he insisted could not be
deferred but must be paid according to the agreement of September. Fuad
Bey took note of this but promised nothing. As regards the current debt
to the Eastern Telegraph Company, which was always £2,000 or more, he
assured Mr. Hope Gill that all postal and telegraphic receipts would hence-
forth be reserved for its liquidation and would not be pooled with the Gov
ernmeut's other resources. Mr. Hope Gill made a passing reference to the
Hejazi ha If-share of the costs of the MacDonnell investigation, a matter of
only £1,70Q. and was promised an early reply (see paragraph 35). He
made no reference to the Marconi debt, which, though mounting up and
£5,000 high at the turn of the year, is a matter on which neither the Com
pany nor Mr. Philby, their agent, has yet approached the Legation. He
mentioned, however, the several hundred pounds owing to a number of British
and British-protected chauffeurs in Government employ (see paragraph 14).
but without drawing more than a sardonic reference to the similar plight of
all Government employees in the country.
46. I titer national.* —On November 23rd the Hejaz-Nejd telegraphed to
Geneva its adherence to the proposed Armaments Truce. No decision to
accept the invitation to attend the Disarmament Conference was notified
before the end of the year. j
47. France. —The treaty with France was at last signed on the 10th
November, together with an agreement covering relations with Syria. Tne
former is the result of nearly 2 years’ negotiation; it is understood to follow
the lines of the Treaty of Jedda but to exclude all mention of the suppression
of the slave trade, that civilized aim to which His Majesty’s Government
had succeeded in binding Ibn Sa’ud—on paper.
48. The Netherlands. —M. Adriaanse returned to Jedda on November
5th and presented his credentials as Charg6 d’Affaires. He had spent a
part of his leave acting as Secretary to the Orientalists’ Conference at
Leiden, but he finds the local Arabic well-nigh unintelligible.
49. Germany. —M. de Haas went on leave in November, leaving a local
German merchant in charge of his Consulate.
50. Soviet Russia. —A second consignment of Soviet oil was delivered at
Jedda in November (see paragraph 10).
51. Turkey. —Lutfullah Bey was in November at length able to present
his credentials as Charge d’Affaires. His Legation has since been charged
with Afghan interests.
52. Persia.^—Ain ul Mulk Habibullah Khan Hoveida once more returned
to Jedda, after 6 months’ leave of absenc, on December 26th.
53. United States of America. —The prospecting activities ol Mr.
Crane’s engineer are described in paragraph 18.
LIOSI C) f&pd i .