ORDEAL OF DAMASCUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 2 November 1925, Page 7

ORDEAL OF DAMASCUS.

FRENCH MANDATE MAY' END. INCREDIBLE BARBARITIES. "IN ONE RED BURIAL BLENT." MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, November 1. It is practically certain that General Sarrail, who is ordered to France to report, will not return to Syria. It is now stated that the Syrian mandate will be reorganised without delay by a. special mission from the League of Nations, which is significant in view of the fact that it expires in September, 1027. The ''Sunday Express" publishes on eyewitness's account of tlie bombardment, received by an English firm from their Damascus representatives, in which lie says: '"The bombardment- of the native quarters, which the Druses were holding, continued relentlessly for 24 hours and entirely demolished the houses, which were ricketty structures and collapsed like houses of cards, burying the occupants in a living tomb. "The plight of those sheltering in the cellars of the larger houses was no better. The houses collapsed and entombed them. "The casualties must have been enormous. Thousands of men, women and children .are dead or entombed. Several villages on the outskirts of the city were also reduced to ashes. The whole countryside is in an acute state of rebellion." The Paris correspondent of the "Sunday Times" says there is growing support for the abandonment of the Syrian mandate on the grounds that it merely involves heavy expenditure and difficulties not compensated for by any positive gain. It is generally felt that the tardy removal of General Sarrail was designed to save the Ministry, but the latter is far from having secured a clean sheet, and will probably receive a severe slinking at the outset of its career. A message from Cairo says that according to the Damascus newspaper "Omran," tbe damage done in Damascus by the French bombardment is estimated at £3,000,000. The authorities are forbidding all except women and foreigners to leave the city, though 15,000 have left since October 20. Executions are still taking place. A Beirut newspaper published a sensational report to the effect that 1200 prisoners in the citadel at Damascus were killed during tlie bombardment after an attempt to escape. The sruards were attacked and several were killed. G«nernl Dupont has been appointed Acting-Civil High Commissioner. The Government is still awaiting General Sarrail's detailed report regarding Damascus. Tlie American Ambassador to Paris, Mr. M. T. Hcrrick, has banded to the Foreign Minister, M. Briand, a Note, asking for information regarding the events in Syria for communication to Washington. — (Reuter.) HEAVY REINFORCEMENTS. A LARGE FRENCH ARMY. (Received 12.30 p.m.) PARIS, November 1. According to "Le. Journal," besides two cavalry regiments, eight more battalions of infantry, including two from Morocco, are being dispatched to Syria, making the strength pf the French army in the Levant five regiments of cavalry and thirty infantry battalions.— (Reuter.) STARVATION AND WAR. v BEDOUINS MOBILISING. (Received 1 p.m.) PARIS, November 1. A passenger from Syria states that insurgents occupy the villages around Damascus, where famine is feared, as the supplies of wheat from Hauran are now cut off. Bedouin tridesmeri, led by Ramadan Shallash, are gathering at Derrasul, near Aleppo, where the local TTedouin chief, Hajam, refuses to negotiate with the French.— (A. and N.Z.)

MANDATES COMMISSION.

THE FRENCH IN SYRIA,

GENEVA, November 1

The concluding session oi the Mandates. Commission of. the League of Nations decided to adopt Sir F. Lugard's proposal to forward requests to various mandatories for information concerning the existing situation as to ex-enemy properties in the mandated territories. The Commission will also ask for observations regarding petitions and protests relating to the administration of certain territories, notably Syria.—(Reuter.) FRENCH CASUALTIES. (Received 11 a.m.) PARIS, November 1A communique has been issued wherein the Premier points out that the 6000 French reported killed in Syria represent a total killed and missing since 19-20, whereas the Killed and missing since the outbreak of the present disorders number 585, barely half of whom are French.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)