The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-07-11
WAHABI HORDES
READY FOR
Ne " WAR
LuII in Fighting May Spell
Doom of Hashimite Family
in Arabia
ny Internatlonal News service.

JERUSALEM, July 11.--Although
the guns have been silenced on
the Hedjaz front, in Centrsa Arabia.
where a fearless and fanatical de-
sert chieftain is contending for SUI
premacy over Mecca, the hottest Of
Moslem cities, the war between
Arabs Of King Ais camp and the
Wahabi hordes of Sultan Ibn Saud
is by no means over.
Competent observers predict war
fare viii be renewed with true
months time, or as soon as the
Wahabis secure more ammunition
and the Hedjazians more money
with which to buy ammunition.
For several months the enemies
have been glaring at each other,
their armies marking time. Ibn
Saud., first brought about the down
fall of King Hussein, who abdicated
and has since been forced to live
aboard g. ship near Akaba, on the
Red Sea. He then drove King Ali,
the ex-mcranch's eldest son, out of
Mecca, occupied the sacred city and
has been looking interestingly at
the important port town, Jeddah,
where Ali has taken refuge.
DesuItory Fighting.
Desnltory fighting has occurred,
but the combatants have not en-
gagged in regular action
All peacemakers have failed, in.
Guiding q delegation OF Moslems
from India and Sir John Philby,
& former British official In those
parts, who went to Jeddah In the
hope of reconciling the warriors
The latest news received In Jeru-
ralem is that the Palestine Arabs
who. were persuaded to join. the
Hedjaz army have long been ready
to give up the fight, but that Ais
officers prevented them by threats
of death.
At the same time 1t is reported
that $4,000 irregulars, belonging to
Wahabi tribes, are concentrating
on the Trans-Jordanian frontier
preparatory, 1t seems. to an attack
on the territory ruled by Emir Abb
dullah, brother Of King Ali. If this
IL true, the Wahabis seem ready TO
carry to the finish the war on. the
Hashimite family.
Ali Awaits ReinfOrcements.
King Ali Is clearly feeling the
Etrain and, in inviting Ruchdi
Pasha Safadi to come from Damas-
Gus, to take over the command OF
his army at Jeddah, seems to show
it. Ais present force has not been
able to more than hold Jeddah, and
after three futile attempts to break
Through the besieged zone and meet
the Wahabis I'm the open, this ruler
has decided to wait for more rein
forcements before striking A. he
is practically without money, except
for. the diminishing Subsidy he re-
ceives from the British ExcheQuer.
Ali is understood to have app
preached, unsuccessfully, Italian
bankers for a loan.
The Wahabis are in no great
hurry to attack. preferring to wear
out the enemy and weaken the
morale of what remains OF the civil
ian population after the recent
bombardment, but they are collect
ing all available ammunition AM
have even offered to buy cartridges
from civilians. At the same time
Ibn Saud Is seeking an alliance with
the ruler Of Yemen, a traditional
enemy Of the Hussein family
against Ali.
In ay decisive battle, Ibn Saui
is likely to have the upper hand
because of the fierce devotion OF his
followers. Ais is the somewhat
better organized army, trained by
adventurous officers recruited, on
promise of good pay, from all Eu-
ropean armies, but his army has
neither the fearlessness nor the
loyalty of the Wahabis.