The Imam's delegate, when in Mecca, told Sheikh Fuad-el-Khatib that the French had recently asked the Imam to permit some twenty Frenchmen to establish them selves in Mocha to trade in hides and sheep. It was understood that these men would accept the judgment of Sharia courts, would observe any wishes the Imam might express, and would supply the Imam with rifles and ammunition if desired. Their real interest was believed to be Sheikh Sa'id. The Imam's delegate added that the Imam had refused to grant their request on the grounds that the French are notoriously hostile to the Arabs. Aviation. When Colonel Jongmeister recently crashed at Taif, he did not, as at first reported, break his leg, but he severely cut his knee. The Caudron machine he was flying is in splinters. M. Stavris has now flown the second Caudron down to Jeddah. and Delicata, the Italian mechanic, is also in Jeddah. No machines or personnel remain in Taif. The Caudron brought from Taif is laid up for repairs, which cannot well be effected in less than six weeks. There is thus, for the moment, no machine in the country ready for immediate flight. The Russian pilots and mechanics have all been dismissed. except M. Maximof. The Hedjaz Government have cabled to the Italian aviator Schiona, and they expect him to arrive with ten other pilots and mechanics at an early date. If these people arrive it will no longer be possible to delay, as at present, the flight of the de Havilland to Taif. I learn that there is a considerable store of machine guns and bombs (of German manufacture) at Taif. Also that there are two unused German machines at Medina-- one an “ Albatross," one an “ A.G.” Of these Medina machines, one is said to have been left by the Turks, the other to have arrived recently at the Holy Place. King Hussein's ambition is to have his own Moslem pilots. There are six ex-Turkish officers now in Jeddah awaiting instruction. Stavris and Delicata and, on his arrival, Schiona are to do the instructing. In order to mend the Caudron machine for instruction purposes, the Hedjaz Government require a large number of spare parts and dope (“ émaillite") for the wings from Egypt. It is in the interests of Arabian peace that these commodities, which Messrs. Schumacher and Lavison and Messrs. Mirshak of Egypt offer to sell, should not be sold to the Hedjaz Government. Medina. Sheikh Fuad-el-Khatib informs me that the Emir Ali is shortly proceeding on a tour of inspection north of Medina ; his object is probably both to examine the possibility of reopening railway communication with Amman and Damascus and to take such action as he can to impede the further spread of Wahhabi propaganda. Mecca. The sale of sheep is now controlled by the municipality, that is, by the King. The presence in Mecca of hundreds of refugees from Basra, 240 kilom. south-east of Taif, and other parts of the Hedjaz-Asir marshes is reported. These people state that they have fled from the tyranny of marauding Wahhabis. The leading ammunition merchant of Mecca, Abdul Kheir-bin-Siddiq, after paying King Hussein one large sum as a forced loan, was ordered to pay another. He declared that he could not raise the money, and was thrown into the “ Qabu," the prison pit under the palace. He found the money, paid it, and was released. On the 5th March he was ordered to pay a further 4,0001. He promised to do this, returned to his house, and there took poison. Eight cart-loads of cartridges and powder have already been taken to the palace, and his house, wealth and effects have been confiscated by the King General. Amin Rihani, the Syrian poet now in Jeddah as a guest of King Hussein, called on me on the 3rd March. He is an American citizen and a man of some culture. He proposes to visit the Idrissi and the Imam, Aden, the Persian Gulf and Bagdad before returning to Syria and thence to the United States. The alleged purpose of his tour is the collection of material for a book about Arabia with which he hopes to interest literary America. He is a keen Syrian Nationalist. He may be accompanied on his visits to Southern Arabia by Constantine Yanni, whose connection with any enterprise makes it suspect. I learn from a usually well-informed source that the local authorities show great
