Page 572 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

letter from a man in the R.A.F. who he had never heard of asking him to put up him and his wife for a
fortnight at Christmas, really people are too cool about this sort of thing. Didnt go out to dinner for once in a
way.

Wednesday 9th July 1930

Two Frenchmen arrived on the down boat, as we were on the look out for the two German journalists the
Police thought that they were them and arrested them. The mistake was found out at once and the two
were released, it turned out that one of them was Albert Londres, rather a well known French writer, and the
other Colonel Cherif Ibrahaim Depuis, a French Moroccan and a relative of the Sultan of Morocco, he was in
the French Army but seconded and for ten years French Consul in Kuwait. Parke reported them to me and
said in his letter that Londres was a journalist travelling for La Vie Parisienne!!! Actually he had mentioned Le
Petit Parisien, a very different style of paper. They are staying in Muharrak with Yusuf Fakroo to whom they
had letters, by the same boat an Iraki journalist arrived, who cadged a room at the Palace, known as the Iraki
Tourist, rather a mischievous person according to the reports we have heard of him.

Old Ayesha sent a message through Tiffah asking me to get "Hamed" to send her some more
building, she has an allowance of about £400 a month yet she still asks for money. Motored in the
afternoon. Dined in the evening at the Agency to meet the Frenchmen. They were very nice, a change after
only seeing the very dull people here for so long. Londres looked the part very much, he has long hair a
beard and a rather full moustache and looks very French, his whole style is absolutely French, nobody could
take him for a German. The other man was older with a little white beard, he wore Arab kit but European
clothes underneath, indoors he discarded his abba and head cloth and appeared as an European. I liked both
very much. I brought with me a copy of a translation of an article on the pearl industry and the diving, in
French, which Ben Simon translated. Londres has come here entirely to look into the pearl industry as he is
writing a series of articles on it and then a book. I gave him a lot of information. Neither of them spoke any
English and I found my french was very shaky at times, it is so difficult not to mix up Arabic into it. Altogether
a very pleasant dinner and a nice change to meet new people and foreigners.

Thursday 10th July

The Shaikh and Mohamed came in the morning. Mohamed announced that he wished to go to Syria by the
next mail. Every year he goes away for the hot weather but he always makes out that he hates to go and is
compelled to by his ill health. It is a ridiculous farce and he acts it every summer. Nobody cares much if he
stays or goes. For some days he has been boiling up for it, he has looked as if he swallowed a poker and a lot
of vinegar. I shall be glad to get him out of the way, he is a great nuisance and always gets offended over
something. The Shaikh went over to the Agency later to look at Prior's ponies which are all lame. Holmes
came in later on for a few minutes, he had been at the Agency. The Frenchmen went out to the pearl banks
in a launch. Motored in the evening and then dined with Major Holmes, quietly, nobody else there. He is
very fed up with Prior who because he personally dislikes the idea of oil here seems to be violently opposed
to the whole show. I am all in favour of it and dont pretend not to be.