مجموعة ٦/ ١٩ "الجزيرة العربية: (المملكة العربية السعودية) التقرير السنوي لمملكة الحجاز ونجد." [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٣] (٥٤٠/٢٢٧)

79. Meanwhile, coming events had been throwing their shadow before in
Jedda. In the spring the Italian Legation was strengthened. About the same
time a gentleman named Odello set up in business in circumstances which, at the
time, aroused no suspicion, though, if he had been as successful as he said else
where, it seemed a little odd that he should choose Jedda as his headquarters. It
became evident afterwards that, whether he was a merchant or a military officer,
as he led the Saudi authorities to believe, he was an Italian Government agent.
His camouflage, however, was excellent. He imported a family, including a wife
and daughter, whom many have found attractive. He engaged quite seriously
in several ordinary commercial enterprises, e.g., as a contractor for public works.
He collected a fairly important Italian staff for a place like Jedda, but, with the
exception of a temporary invasion of mechanics, &c., in connexion with the
consignment of arms to be mentioned presently, his employees were such as he
might need for his ostensible business.
80. In July and August the Saudi authorities seem to have set their faces
firmly against any recruitment of labourers or chauffeurs for Eritrea. Their
attitude towards the export of cattle, sheep and food-stuffs varied then and later.
Merchants in Jedda were themselves disillusioned by the fate of one consignment
which was allowed. The consignment perished before labour was available to
unload it at Massawa and as the merchants had contracted for delivery there,
they had to stand the loss. Odello was busy trying to get camels and his name
appeared in connexion with large Italian purchases of gold in the local market.
81. Further light was thrown on the situation on the 25th August when
Sheikh Yusuf Yasin sought an interview with His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires.
He spoke of the activities of Signor Odello, who had sought permission to recruit
labour and to buy camels for Eritrea and who had been allowed to visit the King
at Riyadh. He put various questions as to the attitude of His Majesty’s Govern
ment towards the Italo-Ethiopian conflict and their views on the sale of camels to
the Italians. In the course of subsequent interviews Mr. Calvert gave non
committal replies based on instructions and was the recipient of further partial
revelations of what was passing with the Italians. On the 19th September the
sheikh expressed perturbation as to the possible outbreak of war and closing of
the Suez Canal and as to the effects thereof on trade, &c., in the Red Sea.
82. It was clear that the Saudis were anxious not to offend the Italians and
were attracted by the high price they could get for camels, but were anxious also
to do nothing to estrange His Majesty’s Government. For the rest, it was not
easy to deduce the exact facts from Sheikh Yusuf Yasin’s statements. A collation
of them with those made later by Fuad Bey Hamza, makes it pretty clear that
the Saudi Government had committed themselves to supply or cause to be supplied
some 12,000 camels at about three times the local market price plus certain taxes
but that they were deliberately dilatory in carrying out the undertaking. So far
as is known only 1,000 camels were actually exported under the Odello arrange
ment, although others may have been bought in the north by persons anxious to
supply an Italian demand for camels in Syria. The shipment by sea did not
actually leave Yanbu until mid-November.
83. There was a new and important development early in October when a
consignment of arms, &c., and a party of nine or ten Italian mechanics, &c.,
arrived in Jedda. The readiness of the Italian Government to supply arms had
been mentioned by Sheikh Yusuf Yasin to Mr. Calvert, but the sheikh protested
in a further conversation on the 6th October that the actual arrival of a consign
ment had taken the Saudi Government by surprise. His explanations sounded
unconvincing, but it is possible that some at least of the high Saudi authorities
were genuinely taken aback. Anyhow, the goods were not allowed to be cleared
from customs until the 26th October and, though they were taken to Ashaira on
the Riyadh road to be demonstrated, Fuad Bey afterwards assured Sir Andrew
Ryan that they had then been sent back to Jedda to be kept under lock and key
in the barracks. It should be added that, although the consignment seemed to be
fairly important, it could be plausibly regarded as consisting only of “ samples,”
the description given to it by the Saudis. Most of the Italian mechanics left
Jedda on the 4th November.
84. Mr. Calvert’s conversations with Yusuf Yasin on the subject of Saudi-
Italian relations eased off after the 6th October, although he remained in the