TERRIBLE ORDEAL

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 29 October 1925, Page 5

TERRIBLE ORDEAL

DAMASCUS SHELLED.

MUCH DAMAGE DONE. \ STERN FRENCH REVENGE. by cable -press association-copyright. Receive!! Oct. 29, 19.10 a.m. LONDON, Oct. 28. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says that confirmation of the gravity ot the situation in Damascus has reached London. Terrible damage was wrought by the French garrison artillery and air bombers, as well as by rioters. The consular body in Damascus is claiming damages against The correspondent adds : “It must be admitted that since the arrival oi General Sarrail the whole country has become choc tic.” A. jjgjigftAffr Vrying reports from Damascus indicate that the town passed through a terrible ordeal from October 19 to October 20. it bears the scars ot the re'entless measures taken to suppress the riots, following the action of the P rencii in parading the corpses oi bandits in the streets. . , A traveller from Damascus says that during the afternoon of October 18 a band of men. headed by a chief, Hassan ' Elkarreth, penetrated into the Chagour quarter, shouting: “Rise iip; your brothers tho Druses are here. ’ they attacked the police post ana shot dead the French officer. The inhabitants or the quarter armed themsejves and joined the insurgents. All advanced towards the Medam quarter, tvheie they were joined by the inhabitants. A hundred Frenchmen working with Armenians in this quarter were caught between the insurgents and another bodv o! - relic's from the town. they y died fighting bravely. Suddenly an aeroplane appeared ancl bombed the crowds. Tanks, armoured ' cars and other aeroplanes followed. All joined in spreading death among the rebels, who fled in a, 1 ! directions from the terrible retribution. The insurgents continued to on the public from military buildings. They barricaded streets and set fire to certain quarters. Finally _ the artillery opened fire from the cit octal on the rebel quarters. The French made it known that the bombardment would not cease till the rebel fire ceased. The bombardment lasted from Sunday' night (October 18) till Tuesday. Shel’s destroyed the Chagour and Medan quarters, while part of the Hamidich bazaar and other places were destroyed by fire. The Palace of Azm, one of the’ finest monuments in the East, was damaged. Hundreds of victims were lying in the streets. Probably at least 2000 were buried beneath the demolished ' buildings. Apparently Christians escaped. The French sent in 2000 soldiers to the Christian quarters; which the insurgents had not attacked directly. Damascus notables during the afternoon of October 20 presented themselves before the High Commissioner and undertook to fulfill all the French Government’s requirements. Martial law was declared, and anyone found in possession of arms was executed. Another version says that six organied bands were working around Damascus. One band entered Damascus on October 18, being composed of 40 men only under Karrath* They intended to kidnap General Sarrail. The French bombarded the city to frighten the population, whom they accused with connivance with the bands and of having informed the latter of the date of General Sarrail’s arrival at Damascus. The rebels remained in Damascus until October 20, and only retired because l their presence was taken as a pretext t" to bombard the city. • It is alleged that the rebels did nothing ■ reprehensible. Karrath visited the Christian auarterSj tranquilising them, saying: “You are our brothers.” It is also claimed that large numbers of Moslems took.refug© in the Christian quarters during'the bombardment, and were well received. Another version says that a band attacked Damascus to avenge themselves on the Armenians in the Medan quarter, who, it is alleged, enrolled in the French army. Generally the bands remain around Damascus, perhaps strengthened by men from Damascus, whose houses were destroyed and families killed. Well-informed persons express the opinion that the theatre of operations will* be shifted from the .Tebei; Druse to the Damascus | region, where bands are being well organised. It is believed that they are composed of thousands seeking revenge.

SITUATION UNSATISFACTORY. NO OFFICIAL REPORT ‘ ISSUED. LONDON, Oct. 27. The Paris correspondent of the Times states that two French cavalry regiments from Morocco have gone to Syria, where the situation is officially described as not 'Satisfactory. It is admitted that there is agitation, not only at Damascus but also in the suiv . rounding region. Apart from this the y French press is without official Syrian V Information. L’lntransigeant declares that no official report has so far appeared to contest the truth about Damascus. “Is this .scandal gojng to last long?’ the paper asks. The Beirut correspondent of Le Temps under date October 26 asserts that in view of the gravity of the situation General Sarrail asked Paris for larger reinforcements. He declared that conflicts are occurring between the French, Moslem and Bedouin -populations. Messages from Damascus show that the British consulate was not damaged, though apparently a certain amount of damage was done to British property, but n.o British subjects were killed. Correspondents’ reports from Damascus caused amazement'in official circles in London, and were extensively quoted in the evening papers, especially the story of the parade of dead brigands on the backs of camels and the lack of warning to Europeans, except French nationals, before the bombardment. The Star states that the Government will probably claim compensation for the damage to British property and bazaars.

ANOTHER VERSION. FANTASTIC! TALES DISCOUNTED. A FATAL MISTAKE. Received Get. 29, 10.35 a.m. LONDON, Oct. 28. The Damascus correspondent of the Times says that while the material havoc is serious enough, the fantastic accounts of thousands being killed and the population deserting the city

are merely propaganda, or refugees feverish imaginings. The correspondent’s account was based on ail actual inspection, which showed that only tlwo foreigners, were killed and one Britisher was wounded. The casualibies among the native population are not likely to be much greater proportionately. The outbreak was really the outcome of tho situation in Jebel-Druse, but the Druses, who were engaged in pillaging shooting and incendiarism at Damascus, seem not to have acted from political motives, as desire for plunder. It was .a. great mistake to display the corpses of brigands on camels, which were paraded through tlie .streets bearing the dangling bodies. It was a revolting spectacle which, instead of overawing the brigands, infuriated the entire populace. One consequence was that the French found the bodies of twelve of their Circassian irregulars deposited outside the city gate three mornings later. The lower elements of the papulation readily joined forces with the brigands in attacking the French troops and overpowering the police.—Times.