LEBANON INCIDENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 26 November 1943, Page 5

LEBANON INCIDENT

MAY BE REGARDED AS CLOSED FULL CREDIT TO GENERAL CATROUX (Rec 9.40 a.m.) London, Nov. 25. The Lebanon incident may be regarded as closed, says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. The President of Lebanon, its Government and Parliament are all again working, and internal peace reigns. Full credit is being paid in London to the tact and resource with which General Catroux handled the crisis. M. Massigli, Minister for Foreign Affairs, speaking in the foreign policy debatein the Consultative Assembly, Algiers, said: “The achievement of Lebanese independence will be the joint work of France and Lebanon. It is unnecessary for any power to act as an intermediary.”

General de Gaulle;, winding up the debate, said: “Certain friendly powers tend to be dubious about the French Committee of National Liberation, but the Committee has had great difficulties with which to contend and is anxious to maintain its alliance. The Committee is in fact the Government of the French Republic.” “SETTLEMENT” DETAILS CENSORED London, Nov. 24. The way in which the Lebanon “settlement” was reached cannot yet be reported to the public because the military authorities insisted on censorship, says the Algiers correspondent of the British United Press. He adds that correspondents were prevented from transmitting the vital facts. There is no indication of when the far-reaching ban will be lifted. It can be said, however, that the entire aspect of the Lebanon “settlement” will be changed when the full facts are presented. It should also be stressed that accounts so far transmitted to Britain present a distorted picture of both the British and French positions.