TENSE SITUATION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 194, 30 May 1945, Page 3

TENSE SITUATION

FIGHTING IN SYRIA.

TRIBESMEN ATTACK FRENCH. BRITAIN WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS. (N.Z. Press Association-Copyright.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 29. Armed tribesmen from the surrounding countryside swept into Hama, in Syria, yesterday, and ambushed three French armoured cars, destroying one and capturing the others. They killed three and captured three French soldiers. . „ The French are reported to / have shelled the Syrian local administrative building at Homs. i v." The Cairo correspondent of the “Daily Express” says: “ Nokrashy Pasha, the Egyptian Prime Minister, said in Parliament last night that, while fully supporting Syria and Lebanon in their dispute with France, the Egyptian Government could not agree to force as a means of solving the deadlock.” , lleuter’s Cairo correspondent says that reports that King Faroulc lias offered to mediate are not confirmed, i The Syrian Prime Minister has announced that Syrian delegates will go to the meeting of the Arab League Council in Cairo. Attitude of Britain. The Foreign Secretary (Mr Anthony Eden), replying to questions in the A House of Commons on Syria and Lebanon, said the British were actively consulting 'with the French und American Governments, and it would be mexcusible if developments there were to interfere with the prosecution of the war. The Foreign Secretary was asked by Major-General Sir Edwards Spears, formerly British Minister in Beirut, what steps the Government was taking to implement its pledge to maintain the independence of Syria and Lebanon, ill view of the recent arrival of French reinforcements and the announcement of the withdrawal of a British brigade. Mr Eden said that a serious situation had arisen in Syria, and the French had sent reinforcements which had recently arrived at Beirut. About the same time the French DelegateGeneral brought French proposals for a final settlement between the French and the Levant States. Considerable popular excitement had been caused, and there had been disturbances in Homs and Hama, and on a lesser scale in Damascus and Aleppo. There was also some .tension in some other parts of the Middle East. The net increase in French troops was very small, said Mr Eden—about 000 men—-but the British Government had told the French Government of its fear that their arrival might cause regrettable reactions. A British brigade bad been in Syria a short period for routine training, but it had no connection with those events. Britain was in active consultation about those developments with the French and American Governments, which also were closely concerned because the tension in the Middle East was liable to affect one of their lines of communication to the Far East. Caution and Prudence. jfc - Mr Eden thought that in the interests of a settlement it would not be desirable for him .to say more than that at the moment, Meanwhile, he was sure, the House would share Ins hopes that all parties, involved in the present discord would behave with caution and prudence. It would be inexcusable if developments in Syria or Lebanon were to create a situation which would interfere with the piosecution of the war in the Far East, "Nothing in -the present situation would justify such a development. British responsibility was to ti*y to the best extent in our'power to bring about an improvement in the situation between the two Levant States, of which we are friends, and our great Allied friends across the Channel. Asked whether he would Lear in mind ; the arrangements Britain had in Iraq, Mr Eden said the difficulty was to produce,; a situation in which the arrangements they had made in Iraq could be repeated, and that needed confidence between the negotiating parties, which, unhappily, was not in existence now. Bridge Blown lip.

A railway bridge between Aleppo and Hama was dynamited early today, reports Reuter’s Damascus correspondent. The Acting-Premier of Syria, Jamil Bey, told a press conference in Damascus to-day that 80 Syrians had been killed and 300 wounded since relations between France ahd Syria had reached a crisis. Jamil Bey sakbhe did not know who was responsible for the explosion yesterday north of Hama, in which three persons were killed and 14 wounded, including three Syrian Deputies and a British soldier. The Beirut correspondent of the "United Press states that the explosionoccurred when a train carrying French reinforcements was derailed north of Hama. Jamil Bey to-day received the British and American Ministers, and conferred with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Abdul Karameh. They are working out a- joint policy for the forthcoming Arab conference in Cairo. • . M. Bedault issued a statement in Paris declaring that France s intention was to agree to full independence for Syria and Lebanon, and to -the withdrawal of all troops, but not until agreement liad been reached saieguarding French economic and cultural interests, including the Mosul petrol plant and protection of the pipeFifteen hundred Arab students demonstrated in the streets of Jaffa today against the closing of the Government High School, where the pupils went on strike in sympathy with Lebanon and Syria,