Evening star., 1943-10-04
Royal Arab Visitors
Look Like Figures
From Screen Thriller
BY HELEN LOMBARD.


The two tall sons of King Ibn
Saud of Saudi, Arabia, who have
been visiting in Washington look
as If they stepped out of a super
desert thriller from Hollywood.
Dressed in flowing robes with gold
banded headgear, the lean athletic
young men showed plainly that they
spend their lives on horseback and
in the open air. Towering over the
majority of the guests who had been
invited to meet them at the Iraquian
Legation, they scanned, with more
than the usual curiosity displayed
by distinguished guests, the faces
OF those who went down the receiv-
Ing line and listened attentively to
each name as it was announced
Exhibiting a lively interest in the
Washington scene, the two Amirs,
hrst ENJOYS the almost legendary
King Ibn Saud has ever dispatched
to the United States, conducted
themselves with perfect ease.
Sign Bill for Bloom.
When Chairman Bloom of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee,
unofficial guide and friend to visit
Ing royalty, pulled out a SIS bill and
requested that H. r. H Amir Feisal
and H. R. H. Amir khalid sign it.
each in turn accepted the proffered
fountain pen and signed his name in
Arabic without batting an eyelid.
Later, however, the two guests of
honor inr,yiroI Iicoraot1,- +l,a
reason for this particular request. 1t
was explained to them as an out
growth of the famous short
snorter' tradition which has devel-
oped with air travel across the
Atlantic.
The Arabian visitors are lodged in
the famous Blair House, which is re-
served for the Nations distinguished
guests. They have won the heart of
the official housekeeper, whose task
goes way beyond the usual house
keeping routine. She makes it
point of being informed about the
tastes and habits of her distin-
guished wards and provides the type
OF food and service to which they are
accustomed
Caters to Special Tastes.
Through the State Department
she learns of the special tastes of her
prospective guests Washington
caterers supply the items on the
menu regardless of how out of the
ordinary they may be. For Arabian
visitors, for instance, breakfast
bacon would be definitely taboo
while the American brew would be a
poor substitute for the thick syrupy
black coffee to which they are
accustomed.
The young princes, whose tastes
have every excuse for differing from
the American diet, have taken pains
to be no trouble and to adapt them
selves as far as possible to their
new surroundings
Not without significance is the fact
that both the Minister from Iraq and
the Minister from Egypt took occa-
sion to give big receptions for the
representatives. of the King of Arabia.
King 1bn Saud unquestionably is
the most independent monarch and
the most powerful Moslem leader in
the world.
Diplomatic Question Mark.
In part of the globe where zones
OF influence are the order of the
day, and where the other Moslem
states are under the influence of one
or more foreign powers, Iban Saud
stands out as diplomatic question
mark for the western nations and as
a source of inspiration to the free
dom-hungry Arabs.
Before he became King of Arabia, |
and was only Sultan of Nejd, Ibn !
Saud was so uncompromising to-
ward foreign encroachments that he |
compelled the British government |
to pay him subsidy of 81 900 900 a
wear in order to persuade him to
stay within his boundaries.
OF late. Ibn Saud has shown some
indications of abandoning his fierce
isolationism. He sent an envoy to /
London about, three years ago. The T.
visit to Washington of his sons un-
doubtedly is preliminary to per-
manent economic and political re-
lations with the United States.
CReleased 1913 by the Bell Syndicate Inc)