"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [و‎‎٣‎١] (٤٣٤/٦١)

CONFIDENTIAL.
(D
(Received on 13th January 1934, ivith Political Secretary’s letter No. 52, dated
28th December 1933.)
Letter from the Admiralty, to India Office, No. M.-03685|33:, dated the 22nd
December 1934.
T am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit
for the information of the Secretary of State for India m Council, extracts from
a report of proceedings of H. M. S. Penzance, covering the period 10th—dOtn
November, 1933.
A copy has been sent to the Foreign Office.
Enclosure to Serial No. (1).
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Extracts.
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Jed da.
8 The approach to Jedda was made without difficulty and the ship anchored
in the Inner Anchorage at 1100 on 18th November The flag of the country was
saluted with 21 guns, which was returned promptly by the shore Battei y.
9. Colonel Hamdi Bey called and presented the compliments of the country.
This officer fought in the'Great War as a Lieutenant in the Turkish Armv, ^anc
is now the Director of Military Training for the whole Kingdom of Sa udi-
Arabia. Though pleasant personally, it is difficult to imagine that he hits tins
important post with much zeal or ability. His predecessor, a more efficient
German-trained officer, was dismissed for corruption.
10. In the afternoon the Commanding Officer, accompanied by Mr. B. W.
Seager (British pro-Consul) called on Sheikh ’Ali Taha and Sheikh Ah A1
Amari, respectively the Acting and Assistant Governors of Jedda in the absence
of Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Mu’Ammar, who was engaged at Mecca m a matri
monial venture.
’Ali Taha is a Hedjazi who has spent 25 years in Civil Service, firstly
under the Turks, then under the Hashimite dynasty, and finally under the
present Wahabbi regime. His colleague is a Nedji.
The call of Colonel Hamdi Bey was then returned at the ez-Turkish barracks
at the outskirts of the town. The building appeared to be scarcely occupied ;
2 armoured cars were observed in the central courtyard, but were evidently m a
state of complete neglect.
11. The two Governors Returned the Commanding Officer’s call on Monday,
20th November, and were accorded a salute of 13 guns on their departure.
Accompanied by the Mayor of Jedda (Sheikh Ali Salami) and Mr. Seager
they lunched with the Commanding Officer on 22nd November.
12. Mr. K. S. Twitchell, the American Mining engineer, was in Jedda,
having recently returned from El Hasa, where he had been assisting the
Standard Oil Company of California in their prospecting operations, which
(erminated in the grant of an oil concession by the Sau’dian Government.
Mr Twitched made the journey across Arabia by car and lorry in seven days,
and since Mr. Philby has now embraced Islam, it is probable that he is the only
living Christian who has performed this feat.
13. As recently foreshadowed elsewhere, the affairs of Mr. H. St. J. B. Philby
and his Sharqieh Company are by no means flourishing, and it seems that the
terms of his concession for the importation of Ford cars and all motor tyres are
proving financially unsound. Mr. Philby himself was on a business journey to
Egypt.
14. It is understood that the large Soviet Legation, which holds itself much
aloof from the European community, does little business, and pays no attention
to the pilgrims from Russian territory. This may perhaps be due to the
official anti-God podcy of- the Soviet, and in this connection it is believed that
this attitude proves a definite commercial handicap when dealing with the
Wahabbi Kingdom, founded as it is so largely on a fanatically religious basis.
The same disability operates also in the Yemen.
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