Coll 6/17 'Syria: Political situation in Syria' [‎41r] (81/180)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S OOYERNMENT
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EASTERN (Syria).
CONFIDENTIAL.
July 5, 1932.
Section 1.
[E 3368/171/89] No. 1.
Consul Hole to Sir John Simon.—(Received July 5.)
(No. 47. Confidential.)
^ ir 5 Damascus, June 16, 1932.
\\ ITH reference to my despatch No. 44 of the 8th June, regarding the first
meeting of the Syrian Chamber, I have the honour to report that parliamentary
business has now been concluded and the Chamber has adjourned until the
autumn.
2. When the Parliament reassembled on the 11th June, the territorial
scission, to which I alluded in paragraph 4 of my despatch No. 35 of the 7th May,
was sharply in evidence. There were three candidates for the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. of the
republic—Soubhi Barakat, Aleppo, Moderate; Hashem-el-Atassi, Damascus,
Nationalist; and Hakki-el-Azm, Damascus, Moderate; the last was the French
nominee. The North Syrian bloc of thirty Deputies had shown clearly at the first
sitting that they intended using their majority to impose their candidates,
regardless of any other consideration, and the smaller groups of Hakki-el-Azm
and Hashem-el-Atassi were equally resolved not to yield. On the 10th the
Nationalists announced their withdrawal from the Parliament, alleging a variety
of reasons, but in fact because their candidate had no hope of success.
3. The High Commissioner thus found himself confronted with a certain
victory for Soubhi Barakat, originally his own nominee but now fallen from
grace. Hakki-el-Azm was accordingly instructed to pass his votes to Mohamed
Ali-el-Abed (who had meanwhile been completely discarded), the Nationalists
agreeing to accept him rather than allow the north to sweep the board. He was
duly elected and escorted to the presidential quarters among the enthusiasm of the
nationalistic youth.
4. A salute of seventeen guns was fired and the new Syrian flag unfurled.
It consists of three horizontal bars, green, white and black, for the Abbasid,
Fatimid and Omayyad dynasties, respectively, with three red stars across the
white, the motive of which eludes me.
5. The late Cabinet submitted its resignation to the new President, who
accepted it on the 12th June.
6. Parliament met for the third time on the 13th June; two committees were
appointed, the first to examine into the validity of the elections and the second
to request the President to make representations to the French Government with
a view to an amnesty for political offenders excluded from the benefits of the last.
7. The elections committee being composed exclusively of northern Deputies,
it was unlikely that much attention would be paid to protests against the Aleppo
elections. Accordingly, the fourth session on the 14th June was stormy,
Nationalists endeavouring to discuss petitions publicly in full assembly instead
of leaving them to the committee appointed the day before. A general uproar
ensued, leaders shouting at one another, and finally the northern Deputies,
including the President of the Chamber, left the building in high dudgeon. Faiz-
el-Khoury took upon himself to adjourn the meeting and afterwards proceeded
with Zeki-el-Khatib on an embassy to the northern headquarters; a touching
reconciliation took place and the Chamber reassembled and passed the elections.
8. The only remaining business was to fix the emoluments of officials and
and members. The President of the Republic is to receive 300,000 fr. per annum,
and the President of the Chamber 120,000 fr. Individual members will have a
monthly wage of 2,000 fr. with an annual bonus of 6,000 fr.
9. The new Cabinet has been formed by Hakki-el-Azm. who will also be
Minister of the Interior. It will include Jamil Mardam, Minister of Finance
and Agriculture; Mazhar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Rislan, Nationalist, of Homs, as Minister of
Justice and Education; and Selim Jambart, Moderate, of Aleppo, as Minister of
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