"TERRIBLE ORDEAL"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 104, 29 October 1925, Page 7

"TERRIBLE ORDEAL"

A LONG BOMBARDMENT.

(REUTERS TELEQRAH.)

CAIRO, 27th October. Varying reports from Damascus indicate that the town passed through a terrible ordeal between 18th October and 20th October. It bears scarred evidence of the relentless measures taken to suppress the riots which followed the action of the French in parading the corpses of bandits in the sire;'.-.

A traveller from Damascus says that during the 'afternoon of 18th October a band of men, headed by the chief Ilas-snn-el-Kharreth, penetrated into the Chagour quarter, shouting; "Rise up ! Your brothers the Druses are here." They attacked a police post and shot dead a French officer. The inhabitants of the quarter armed themselves and joined the insurgents. All advanced towards the Medan quarter, where they joined the inhabitants. "A hundred* Frenchmen working witli* Armenians in this quarter wero caught between the insurgents and another body of rebels from the town, and died fighting brave-

Suddenly an aeroplane appeared and bombed the crowds. Tanks, armoured cars, and other aeroplanes followed, and all joined in spreading death ainoni; the rebels, who fled in all directions "from the terrible retribution. SEVERE DAMAGE INFLICTED The insurgents continued to fire on the public from military buildings and barricaded streets, and "set fire to certain quarters. Finally, artillery opened fire from the citadel on the rebel quarters. The French made it known that the bombardment would not cease till the .rebel fire bad stopped. Tho bombardment lasted from Sunday night till Tuesday. Shells destroyed the Chagonr and Medan quarters, while part of the Hamidieh bazaar and other places were destroyed by fire. The Palace of Azm, one of the finest monuments of the East', was damaged. Hundreds of victims were lying in the streets, and probably at least two thousand were buried be.ne;;.lh demolished buildings. Apparcnlly, Christians escaped. Tho .French sent two thousand .■soldiers to the Christian quarters, which tho insurgents had not attacked directly.

Damascus notables, during (he afternoon of 20th October, presented themselves befovn the High Commissioner and undertook to fulfil all the French Government's requirements. Martial law was declared, and anyone found in possession of arms was executed.

Well-informed persons express the opinion that-the theatre of operations will be shifted l'rom Jebel Druse to the Damascus region, where well-organised bands, believed to number thousands, are seeking revenge. TROOPS SENT FROM MOROCCO (PUBLISHED IN TUB TIMES.) I • LONDON, 27th October. The Paris correspondent of "The Times" states that two Tu-ench cavalry regiments from Morocco have gone to Syria, where the situation is officially described as "not satisfactory." It is admitted that, there is an agitation, not only in Damascus but, iv the surrounding region. Apart from this, the French Press"is without official Syrian informa(ion. "IVlnlransigeant" declares : "No fifiicinl ivporl. so far lias appeared to eonlexi Ihe Irulli about Damascus. Is this scandal going lo last Jong?" 'Ph.- I'.ciiul. correspondent ,of (ho "Ti'inps." under dale 26th OWnhcr. asserts thai in view of Hie gravity ol' the ■.iiualinn (ii'ueral Surrail lias asked I'aris fur larger reinl'oi'ceini'nts. lie declares that conllicls are oniirriug between the I'Vench. Moslem , and I'.edouiu popula-