A CRUCIFIED NATION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10494, 13 October 1926, Page 7

A CRUCIFIED NATION

ATTEMPTED CRUSHING' OF THE DRUSES. SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST FRENCH. (Special to the Times.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 11. Serious allegations concerning the methods of the French in Syria, where the French troops are carrying on guerilla warfare with the Druses, a large tribe with all the trational courage of their Arab, ancestors, were made to-day by Mr W. A. El. F'eilding-Jones, I'.R.G-S., who for the past five months lias been in the thick of the lighting. Mr I (hiding-Jones, who is returning to Jiis station in Australia, acted as correspondent lor a. syndicate of American papers and the Sydney Sunday Times. '‘The world does not know the real position in Syria,” ho said, “because the French Foreign Office strictly censors any communique. The truth is that tiie French have made an awful mess of tilings out there, and they would do anything to get out of Syria to .save their face. They have broken their promises to the Anils- They have none their best to antagonise the Arabs and they have violated sacred Arab customs. V “France,” he said, “has classed it as a religious war, drat that is not true, because Mohaininedans, Christians and many other setes are opposed to them. I know {lie Druses would lay down their arms.to-morrow if the League of Nations" would give Britain the mandate over Syria. Here is a nation being crucified under the French mandate. The French have no idea, of the Arab mind and have adopted a wrong policy They are trying to squeeze an orange dry for the glory of France, hut they have a brave people to deal with.”