Page 1260 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1258
1258
1940

man, son of a big Shaikh, of the Shammar tribe, Nuri Shalaam. They looked savage & hunted, their eyes
turned towards HM every time he moved & he inhibited them rather as though they were sort of wild

animals he had captured & kept in a cage. Conversation rather stilted & HH looked very tired. After they
left returned home & had our usual Bridge.

Thursday 4th May

Fort. Sh Mohd came in morning & read over his speech again. HH at Palace, HM didn't come in. Hot day &
hot gusty night. The young Saoudi princes & their relations & followers are having a very gay night life,
rioting through the bazaar & filling the pockets of the ladies of the town. Hafiz Wahaba lunched with us,
also Thornburgs & Weightmans, quite a pleasant party. Party in Municipal Garden in afternoon, rather a
trying affair, we arrived half hour or more early and the royal party half hour late, HH's fault. Usual affair,
speeches, but only three, & coffee. A big platform & about 300 people, rather warm & a lot of flies. Only a
few Europeans came. I had a line of HM's bodyguard facing me, a fine set of Bedws & blacks, about as
tough a bunch as one would find anywhere. Dined with Thornburgs to meet Russell, an oil magnate - tough

big business man type. So sleepy I could hardly play Bridge.

Friday 5th May

Got up very late. The King went into the Mosque in the morning & a great crowd of people attended,
overflowing into the open part. I have never seen it fuller. Lunched with Thornburgs to meet Hafiz
Wahaba, he must get tired of seeing the same people. The Palestinian was there, a clever interesting man,
relation I think of brother of Muftic of Jerusalem. I sat next to him, he asked why so many shops there are
owned by foreigners and also discussed executions, seemed sensible on this subject. Went round to see
arrangements for party then to Rafaa to meet the King, stayed outside till HH arrived, he was as usual late.

HW & I were in the King's car, I sat in front. HM never stopped talking once during the quite long drive, he
talked politics most of the time, very interesting indeed, HH made a few muddled remarks. Re Jews, HM
repeated how much he disliked them & their religion, quite violent about them, but he thought the
Germans should not have treated them as they did, it was inhuman, they were rich & powerful in trade &
commerce & no harm if the Germans had "milked" them but they should not strangle them - with many