CONFLICTING NEWS OF LEBANON UNREST

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 271, 15 November 1943, Page 3

CONFLICTING NEWS OF LEBANON UNREST

FRENCH SAY "CALM" Egypt's Premier Reports Position Worse N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 14. A special announcement made by a French delegate official at Cairo at midday said the situation at Lebanon generally was calm. I-nfor-matien which came by cable from the French delegation at Beirut covered the activities in Lebanon yesterday, states a Cairo message. The cable said: "The situation generally is calm." To-day there was only mention of a procession of students in Damascus. There were small riots at Saida and a manifestation in Beirut in which four people were injured. There were no important incidents in Tripoli. "I proclaim, in the name of the Egyptian Government and people that Egypt will not rest until legality is re-established in Lebanon by the return of the President, his Government and Parliament, who alone are authorised to speak in the name of Lebanon," declared the Prime Minister of Egypt, Nahas Pasha, in a speech at the W.A.F.D. party Congress in Cairo. He added that the political situation in Lebanon was worse than before the French took arbitrary and painful action against Lebanon's legal Government. The Egyptian Government hastened to do its duty in the face of these guilty decisions and has energetically protested to the French Committee and the British and American Governments, and has also asked Arab Governments to join in the protest. Britain's Attitude Praised Nahas Pasha went on to praise Britain's attitude towards Egypt and her respect for the treaty. "Even during the acutest crisis we always found that our Ally had the utmost respect for our independence, but Egypt is not only interested in herself, she is interested in the welfare of sister Arab nations." The Prime Minister revealed that, as the result of consultations between Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Transjordan and Arabia, an Arab congress was being convened at Cairo. He also said the British Government had promised Egypt equal representation in the peace negotiations directly concerning her interests. On the other hand, earlier messages said the unrest in Beruit is assuming more serious proportions. Arrivals at Cairo say that violent clashes occurred between the populace and French tanks, armoured cars and infantry. Senegalese troop; attempting to occupy the Lebanese President's house were resisted by his friends, who barricaded themselves inside. The Senegalese finally withdrew. A French officer who shot a small Lebanese boy for tearing up a French flag was himself killed by an enraged mob. Feeling is running very high in Beirut, says the British United Press correspondent in the city. The French are breaking up and sometimes firing against crowds gathering at the gates of the British and American Legations. At least three American students were wounded when French marines fired on a crowd of 300 youths. Similar disturbances are occurring in Tripoli, where nearly every French-occupied and French-owned house was either burned or looted. All shops in Beirut and Tripoli are closed. British Minister Active Reuters Algiers correspondent says that Mr. Harold Macmillan, British Minister in North Africa, conveyed the British views on the Lebanon crisis to M. Rene Massigli, French Commissioner of Foreign Affairs. The British view, it is believed, is that General Jean Helleu, the French delegate in Lebanon, is not master of the situation. A correspondent says that Mr. Macmillan was in the closest touch yesterday with the leaders of the French National Committee, which has been given a full written statement of the British Government's attitude. The first report of the situation has been received in London from Algiers and is now under consideration. It is greatly hoped that the instructions General Catroux is taking to Lebanon from the French Committee will enable the situation to be restored.