"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٩] (٤٣٤/٢٥٧)

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(49)
(Received on 4th July 1936, with Political Secretary's letter No. 25, dated 18th
June 1936.)
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter, dated 16th June 1936.
Letter from H. M. ’s Minister, Jedda, to the Foreign Office, No 137 dated
the 8th May 1936.
With reference to my telegram No. 57 of April 30th [Serial No. (40)1 and
previous correspondence relative to the relations of Italy and Saudi Arabia,
I have the honour to state that on May 7th Sheykh Yusuf Yasin informed me
that Lbn Sand had consented to receive my Italian colleague at Ashaira, where
His Majesty has been living in camp for the last two or three weeks. The King
had tried to excuse himself but had agreed to the visit after M. Persico had
repeated his request four times, stressing the infrequency of His Majesty’s
visits to Jedda and, finally, the danger of an unfavourable impression in Rome,
if his wish were not gratified. He had explained that his sole object was to
pay his respects. Sheykh Yusuf thought that this was true but promised to
inform me, if anything more important came of the visit.
2. I said that I did not think that the action of the King in agreeing to
receive the Italian representative would be misunderstood. It is quite ^true
that the King has been very little in Jedda during the last year and that
M. Persico has had no opportunity of meeting him during that period as he was
absent for both the King’s visits on February 25th-26th and from March 26th
to April 2nd. It is therefore, not unnatural that he should wish to make sure
of seeing His Majesty before the latter proceeds to Nejd. It may be difficult
for either to keep off such subjects as the training of Saudi aviators in Italy,
the Italian offer of aircraft and perhaps the proceedings of the now discredited
Signor Odello or to ignore completely the recent Italian successes in Abyssinia.
It is indeed unlikely that my Italian colleague, who has probably acted on
instructions from Rome, intends to undertake the somewhat laborious journey
to Ashaira merely to say How do you do ? On the other hand I see no present
reason to suspect a definite object on either side of major political importance.
For one thing Sheykh Yusuf said that he himself would not go to Ashaira for
the visit though a subordinate member of the staff of his Ministry would be in
attendance.
3. I do not consider Sheykh Yusuf’s information important enough to
telegraph, unless any further developments should appear to invest the matter
with greater significance.
4. I am sending a copy of this despatch to His Majesty’s Ambassador at
Borne.
(50)
Memorandum No. 61 (112|244|7), dated the 16th June 1936.
His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires at Jedda presents his compliments to H. E.
the Viceroy of India, (F. and P.), and has the honour to transmit to him the under
mentioned documents regarding the return to Saudi Arabia of the anti-Saudi
intriguer, Abdul Hamid al Khatib, Jedda.
British Legation,
J eddah,
16th June 1936.
Reference to previous correspondence :
Jedda printed despatch No. 32 of 27th March 1936. [Serial No. (26)].
Description of Enclosure.
Name and Date.
To Foreign Office, despatch No. 185 of 16th June 1936.
Enclosure to Serial No. (50).
Letter from H. M.’s Minister, Jedda, to the Foreign Office, No. 185 (1109[
244|7), dated the 16th June 1936.
With reference to Sir Andrew Ryan’s despatch No. 74 of the 29th March
last, [Enclosure to Serial No. (26)], I have the honour to report that it was