مجموعة ٦ / ٨ (١) "سلسلة مطبوعة: ١٩٢٩ إلى ١٩٣٨". [و‎‎٣‎٥‎٩] (١٠٦٢/٧٢٢)

a ratlier sorry spectacle, compared with a few wild horsemen and a picturesque
contingent of about two hundred men on gaily caparisoned camels who followed.
Idie artillery was represented by the four saluting guns which were drawn by
mules commandeered from the market place for the purpose. The review was
preceded by sea at the palace at Kandara to which some three hundred guests
had been invited.
4. In the evening an official banquet was held at Kandara at which about a
hundred and fifty guests were present including the foreign representatives and
a number of representatives of the leading Egyptian newspapers who had been
invited by the Hejas Government to attend the celebrations. The banquet was
the occasion for a number of complimentary speeches extolling the virtues of
the King and the progress made under his reign. There had, I am told, been
a sharp dispute between the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Gov
ernor of Jedda as to who should deliver the Government’s address. The matter
had been referred to the Emir who had decided as a compromise that Sheikh
Fuad’s speech should be read by a citizen of Jedda.
5. Sheikh Fuad ’s speech was in the main also a eulogy of the King and his'
works. He enumerated the objects which the King has set out to achieve since
his accession and commented on the results obtaiifed. I enclose a resume of his
speech.
6. For the following day a lunch had been organised fey the Municipality of
Mecca at Wadi Falun, about fifteen miles from Mecca where tents had been
erected among palm groves. The foreign representatives and the Egyptian
journalists were again invited. Lunch was served to two hundred and fifty
guests at a long table in one tent. The arrangements for lunch were excellent,
although the superabundance of food was calculated to daunt all but the hardiest
treacherous, and the guests in spite of appetites sharpened by a two hours drive
across country, managed to make very little impression on it. The time was
occupied both before and after lunch by speeches and poems delivered in a re
ception marquee by selected orators who vied with one another in showering
fulsome praise on the King and his representative, the Amir.
7. The celebrations were organised I am told on an unprecedented scale for
Arabia and were obviously intended to impress both the foreigners and the Arabs.
No expense was spared and the organisation was on the whole good.
8. The invitation extended to the Egyptian journalists was a clever more
on Sheikh Fuad’s part. They were treated with assiduous courtesy and were
loud in their praises.
9 The celebrations marked I think a definite departure from the rigid pre
cepts which the Akhwan had succeeded temporarily in imposing. Photographs
were taken freely ; an official photographer had in fact come from Egypt and
photographed the Amir on every possible occasion. Smoking was indulged m
openly or with only a pretence at concealment. In fact there seemed to be a
general relaxation of regulations and a desire to get away from the irksome
restrictions which, in Jedda at any rate, have never been popular.
10. I am sending copies of this despatch and its enclosure to His Majesty’s
High Commissioners for Egypt, Iraq and Palestine, ^ J R
eminent of India in the Foreign and Political Department the Political
dent in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent at Koweit.
Enclosure 2.
Resume in English of speech delivered by ^HFuadHar^aatme ceremony
of the commemoration of the Accession of K g
Sheikh Fuad Hamza, after praismg f f
given for celebrating, for the fust ect of ( he celebra ti 0 ns has been
sion, begins his speech by stating . 3 t p eir g ra cious and beneficient
awysss wsss&wratt
He then deals with the King's ^ to
country and he enumerates as lollows tne oujee
ac neve ' , . , „„ f r ; P nrllv relations.with all Govern-
The establishment and maintenance of friendly relations.
ments and Powers. . —