Evening star., 1932-01-10

In Jedda, among the foreign DuSl-
ness men, there are three characters
that might have come out OF fiction
an EngIishman, an italian and Hol-
lander They are all different, yet they
have two points in common: they are
ali Moslens and they all sell motor
cars. The Englishman and the Italian
both chose Abdullah for their Moslem
names. so to distinguish them their
Hediazi customers, with their penchant
for nicknames, have labeled them
Abdullah Ford and Abdullah Fiat. The
Hollander they have nicknamed Has
san ell Maadi, "the one who has fol-
lowed in the right path"
Englishman Most Spectacular.
The most spectacular Of the three
is the Englishman. During the war he
treked across Arabia from the Persian
Gulf to the Red Sea, lining up the
interior sultanates on the side of the
allies and skirting along the Hedjaz
side of the Empty Quarter. He Is an
author Of note and one OF the fore
most living authorities on the Arabs
and things Arabic. OF late he has
come more into the public eye be-
cause Of his having turned Moslem.
and he is now trusted counselor of
his majesty and a power behind the
throne. Speaking Arabic like native
sitting cross legged on divan while
pulling at a nargile, dressed in loose
woven abba of brown camels hair,
with a red kafiyeh over his head,
weathered from the burning sun, his
beard cut Bedouin style. Abdullah Ford
might easily be mistaken for native
born son of the dessert were it not
for the deep blue of his English eyes.
He now has a house in Mecca and
has the distinction Of being the first
European who has received his reh-
gious oathS within the court of the
Mosque of the Kaaba.
Finding his sales falling off, the
italian also went Moslem. At his show
room and service station in Jedda he
has been trying to convince the rest
of the Hedjaz of the sincerity Of his
new religious convictions by putting
an electric light over his front door
and sitting there late into the night
reading his Koran. His Hedjazi
competitors-a bit skepticalEare won
dering If this devout reader Of the
word of Mahomet is not opening up
the way for a branch in Mecca.
Hassan ell Maadi, who was the first
of this automotive trio to 60 Moslem,
has agencies for a number of Ameri-
can car manufacturers. AS local rep
resentative for Dutch steamship lines
that annually bring thousands of pill
grims from the colonies of the Far
East he has done rather well, having
amasSed a fortune of several million
dollars in the last 20 years. When
I met him in Jedda he had just re-
turned from two weeks camel trek
across the desert with his majesty, and
he waxed enthusiastic over the speci-
f1cations of high-priced American
limousine he had just sold the King,
outfitted with a Pullman berth for
night travel and other unique equip
ment designed for hard going In the
desert. The six feet four inches Of his
ma ajesty-stretched out-needed one Of
the longest passenger cars in the
world; Hassan el Maadi had it: he
offered and supplied 155-inch wheel
base
Ibn Saud owns or controls the desti-
nies of $50 motor vehicles-American
German, British, French and italian.
During the present pilgrim season he
made one single purchase of 130 Amer
ican cars and trucks of popular
make. He is considering having the
government take over all motor trans
port. AS it now is, at least three
quarters of the Hadjis bound for Mecca
and Medina ride there in motor We
hicles from Jedda. So these three
European Moslem dealers are in keen
competition to impress upon his maj
esty the merits Of their latest models
Imports into the HedjaZ from the
United States now amount to about
$500000 annually-which is, however,
but per cent of the total. Never
theless, we have more manufacturers
represented by agents in this kingdom
than does any other country The
last count was IS, of which 10 sold
automobiles and 4 sold tires. Motor
vehicles and allied lines head the list,
and our sewing machines, hardware,
windmills> and lighting plants, among
other things, have found their way into
the oases of the interior.
Our trade scouts have sent scores of
opportunities to Washington from their
Hedjazi contacts. Every cargo boat
from America brings ashore orders of
American apples, canned products,
shoes, electric fans, typewriters with
Arabic keyboards, A. E. F. uniforms
for the Kings army, or what have you?
1t also brings letters, catalogues and
samples
Snappy Business Letter.
Each mail steamer from Jedds car
rieS away business correspondence from
Hedjaz buyers Much of 1t is written
in English as she Is spoke" One big
firm, whose head Is an official and
Cd 3x.