time, the terminal could be placed in Egypt, which was apparently cooperative, or Palestine where concession rights had already been obtained, while perhaps it would be feasible to avoid crossing Trans-Jordan where a concession or "convention" had not yet been consummated.

Accordingly, in April 1946, it was decided to investigate the Aqaba route for the main pipe-line and to determine its cost in comparison to the route originally recommended in the "Prospectus". Also, four possible routes for a short by-pass line around the Suez Canal were to be investigated, either as independent projects or as projects to be later incorporated in the Trans-Arabian line, It was decided that this reconnaissance would be performed by Oscar Wolfe of The Texas Company and S. P. Johnson of Standard Oil Company of California who was in Arabia at the time on other business. After conferring with Mahmoud Abu Zaid Bey of the Egyptian Government in New York, Wolfe left for Cairo by air about the middle of April carrying letters to high Egyptian officials. In Cairo was received by Sidky Pasha, the Prime Minister, and Saba Habashi Pasha, Minister of Commerce and Industry, who promised him every possible assistance in carrying out his mission. Johnson, who was in Dhahran, received instructions by letter and by cable.

PLAN OF RECONNAISSANCE

It appeared possible that the major portion of a reconnaissance would have to be performed from an Egyptian base, but after a conference with the Aramco management in Dhahran, it seemed more expeditious for the start to be made from the Dhahran end, since the Aramco geological staff had valuable information concerning the various routes and it was believed that two Aramco airplanes would be available at Dhahran as well as motor equipment. As things worked out it would have perhaps been better to start from the Cairo end, but this could not have been foreseen. Wolfe arrived in Dhahranon April 26 and after a conference withMax Steincke and R. A. Bramkampof Aramco, he and Johnson decided that the routes to be investigated were those indicated on the appended Map No. 1.

Route "A" indicated on this map is the original route recommended In the "Prospectus". Route "B" Is a route Into Egypt or Palestine by way of Abqaiq, which was the principal object of the investigation., and Route "C" a third possibility for getting into Egypt that would avoid the mountains at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and the necessity for crossing Trans-Jordan. The possibility of building partly along Route "A" and partly along Route "B" and crossing over, as indicated by the dashed line on the map, was also considered, but Mr. Steincke's knowledge of the ground was such as to make him doubtful of its feasibility. The third, or southern route, indicated "C" on the map, was not considered very seriously, although it was intended to investigate it at least to some extent if time permitted. Later on it was found that this was actually the route that the Egyptian Government was proposing and advocating.

Just after this preliminary conference concerning the reconnaissance, Mr. Terry Duce, who was conferring with King Ibn Saud in Riyadh on other matters, showed him a map substantially the same as that reproduced as No. I in this report. During this conference the King expressed a dislike for Route "C" because it traverses the "heartland" of his country, and said further that he did not think it was a satisfactory route from a construction standpoint. He had no objections to the Aqaba route and, in fact, had previously stated more than once that the claim of Trans-Jordan to the town of Aqaba - and perhaps even to any frontage on the Gulf of Aqaba - had never been recognized by the Saudi Arabian Goverment and that the town of Aqaba was traditionally and rightfully a part of the Hajaz.