GROWING WORSE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 205, 12 June 1945, Page 3

GROWING WORSE

SITUATION IN THE LEVANT. COMPLAINTS BY THE FRENCH BRITISH NOT ACTING RIGHT (N.Z, Press Association-—Copyright.) (Rec. 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, June 11. French Foreign Office sources tonight indicate that in the Levant the position is growing worse and they allege that the British authorities are not taking measures to protect the French, says the British United Press correspondent at Paris. It is said that the tension is mounting and that the situation is becoming intolerable for the French. There have been disturbances and numerous attacks against the French at Aleppo and nine people are reported to have been killed near Damascus, although the situation in Damascus is stated to be calm. The French Foreign Office says that the French and special Syrian troops have been evacuated to camps which are “very like prisons” and that large numbers of Syrians are deserting. It is stated in Paris that the British Government apparently wants to iron out the difficulties, but the local British authorities in the Levant are acting in direct opposition to French interest. The French Government insists that a Five-Power conference is the only solution as Russia and America would then act as mediators. France has not yet received official replies to her note to Britain and America, China and Russia. The British United Press correspondent at Cairo reports that some of the Arab States at the final meeting of the Arab League Council wanted the Arab world to break off diplomatic relations with France. One country even wanted to use force against her, but the Egyptian delegates eventually persuaded the conference to take a calmer view of the situation. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS FOUND (Rec. 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, June 11. The Associated Press correspondent at Beirut, says it has been revealed in Damascus that the Syrian Government’s seals were on a safe and four boxes of official documents were found in a house at Damascus occupied by General Oliva Roget, the French com-mander-in-chief.