مجموعة ٦ / ٨ (١) "سلسلة مطبوعة: ١٩٢٩ إلى ١٩٣٨". [و‎‎١‎٣] (١٠٦٢/٣٠)

68
Government had already been informed in writing that a Mission would pro
ceed, Hussein was eventually instructed to leave without the Foreign Mmis-
. r - The latter told me that he had suffered at Hussein’s hands in the past
in the matter of his arrogance and autocratic behaviour. I could not help
remarking that I had only met this princeling in 1937 and that I could amee
taat he was arrogant and autocratic. At my audience with the King on
July 17th last he asked me after his “ boy Hussein ”. I replied that when
I last saw him he appeared to be in rude health. It appears that he has
informed his father that he is suffering from anaemia and that he is consultino-
specialists in London.
(b) Qadhi Abdullah El Amri. —The Prime Minister is as powerful as
ever and is still the King’s most trusted adviser. He is much disturbed
about the succession and constantly prays for the King’s long life. In this
he is sincere as his own future is very uncertain after King Yahya’s death.
In his reference to the Crown Prince he is careful not to criticise him but
prays that Allah may guide him and equip him for rulership which implies
that at present he is no fit person to rule ; this is the general view and I share
it. The Prime Minister is quite certain in his own mind that the Crown
Prince will succeed in the first instance and makes no secret about it.
Qadhi Abdullah’s relations with Raghib have worsened—if that were
possible—and though outwardly they are the best of friends their one desire
is to oust the other. Qadhi Abdullah is more charitable than Raghib and
merely refers to him as a tiresome old man.
(c) Qadhi Muhammad Raghib Bey. —During my stay here this month
I have noticed that Raghib, like the King, has aged considerably since October
1936. He finds it more difficult to grasp matters of detail and sometimes has
to repeat words to himself before they sink in. He is, I think, over 70 years
of age and his thirteen years in this capital without change have worn him
down. At the moment he and the Prime Minister are engaged in under
ground warfare to such an extent that Raghib is obsessed with it. The
vast amount of intrigue in this town and the sinister interpretations attributed
to the most innocent acts sometimes lead me to wonder whether I have
stumbled on a vast mental institution. It surpasses the bounds of all normal
human understanding. As part of my time here is spent listening patiently
to stories about the sinister machinations of this person and that, I have to
hear a donkey bray or a dog bark before I am brought back to a sense of
reality. Raghib suffers from this form of hysteria to a marked extent.
I am quite convinced that he would do anything and sacrifice every
thing to get out of this country at the earliest opportunity. His relations
with all Yemenis are most unhappy but the King will not let him go even if
he spurns him and treats him abominably at times. In spite of this, how
ever, I believe that he is secretly flattered by the King’s refusal to release
him ’and I do not doubt that this alone makes life endurable to him.
(d) Seyyid Abdullah ibn El Wazir.—TAiQ Governor of Hodeida still seems
to carry his anti-Christian bias to an extreme. He has recently much
embarrassed our political clerk in Hodeida and told him quite openly that
he would be as difficult and as uncompromising as he could with any person
who served the Christians. Mr. Salih Jafar deserves commendation for his
tact and self-possession as his patience has been sorely tried. Seyyid Abdullah
for all his outward show of dignity and grandeur is a chicken-hearted posewr.
I am quite sure that, like his cousin in Taiz, he is piqued at the Aden Govern-
ment’s apparent disregard of the importance of the Wazirs while he knows
that we want no quarrel with the Yemeni Government and its officials. In
the circumstances he feels that he is safe enough to vent his spleen on and
derive malicious pleasure in baiting Mr. Salih Jafar who is wise enough to
remain unruffled. It is clear that he is acting deliberately and for a set pur
pose and his anti-Christian pose serves the object m view Like his cousin
in Taiz, but in a different manner, I think he strives to make it emerge
Wazirs can be a nuisance if they are not placated.
Seyyid Abdullah met his cousin, the Governor of Taiz in Apnl last
These two had not met for fifteen years or more and it is “Atw this meet-
that they discussed future Waziri P ollc y“P^the most corfflafand
ing it was reported that their relations had not been of the most cordial ana
I suppose that this has now been remedied.
59(C) ExAffai/dDfepfi