FRANCE AND SYRIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19470, 28 October 1926, Page 9

FRANCE AND SYRIA.

QUESTION OF THE MANDATE TALK OF A TRANSFER. HINT OF BARGAIN WITH ITALY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 7.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Oct. 27. The possibility of a bargain being made between France and Italy concerning Syria is discussed by the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. The writer says French Ministers are now either anxious to return the mandate to the League, or resigned to its return, if it can be done without loss of prestige to France. Moreover, they might acquiesce in the choice of Italy as the new mandatory if Italy, among other considerations, would be willing to abandon her aspirations as regards Tangier. Undoubted progress has been achieved, in tho course of preliminary "soundings," says the correspondent. The Italians contend that they would succeed in Syria where France has failed by leaning upon the Arab, Moslem and Christian elements instead of upon the Turkish minority. A writer in the Times, in commenting upon the Syrian situation last month, said:—The dissatisfaction of the French Government with the administration of tho French mandate in Syria has again declared itself in a change of personnel. General Billotte is to succeed General Gamelin as commander-in-chief, while Monsieur de Jouvenel, the distinguished publicist and politician, who has held the High Commissionership for the best part of a year, is handing over his office to an experienced civil servant, Monsieur Ponsot. It is a good thing that the policy of appointing a civil High Commissioner, which was tardily inaugurated when Monsieur de Jouvenel was offered the post, has not been abandoned. The French newspapers published complimentary articles on tho appointment of M. Ponsot. Ho was formerly Under-Direetor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Africa and the Levant. Attention was drawn to his expert knowledge of the East and to his distinguished services, especially in connection with the Moroccan problem. In an interview published by the Matin, M. Ponsot said the era of military operations in Syria had closed and that tho task of the French administration must be patiently to consolidate the position. Although Syria would remain under French control in the field of foreign relations, the Syrians should he helped trt build up at home a truly national and independent state in which order would be kept by the natives themselves.