Coll 6/17 'Syria: Political situation in Syria' [‎61r] (121/180)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
]4>Z. 1
EASTERN (Syria).
1905
February 22, 1932.
_ CONFIDENTIAL.
k 193 2
V
Section 2 .
| E 904/171/89]
No. 1.
Consul Monck-Mcism to Sir John Simon.—{Received February 22.)
(No. 1. Confidential.)
Alepi^o, January 22, 1932.
WITH reference to ray despatch No. 61, Confidential, of the 24th December
last on the subject of the Syrian elections of the first degree at Aleppo (alluded
to by error as the secondary elections), I have the honour to report that the action
of the French authorities can hardly be said to reflect credit upon the integrity
of their methods or upon their reputation for sang-froid.
2. Protests made by the Nationalists were many, and took the form of
gatherings in front of the houses of the Syrian Governor, the moderate Subhi
Bey Barakat, and one or two other “ traitors " to the Nationalist cause. A
demonstration made by Moslem women was dispersed by cold w’ater from the
hose pipes of the town fire-engine, and a similar demonstration made by a mixed
crowd in front of Subhi Bey Barakat's house was fired on by a nervous
constabulary before it had shown any intention of resorting to violence, one or
two demonstrators and a Syrian gendarme being killed and a few people injured.
According to information which I have received from a reliable source, much
of the formal protest registered was the work of agitators, and not of the leaders
of the Nationalist party at all. ihe latter, indeed, exhorted the people to remain
quiet, and a humorous episode of the campaign occurred when a printed sheet
circulated by Ibrahim Hanano counselling moderation was seized by the French
authorities and copied for further distribution.
3. Since the disturbances of Christmas Day the defence of the public has
not been left to the Syrian police and gendarmerie, but entrusted to the military.
Rumours of an invasion of the town by Sheikh Mudjhem of the Anaze tribe
moved large numbers of the more ignorant Moslem population to remove merchan
dise from their shops to their homes, but, in general, enlightened opinion has
been reassured by the display of military force. The elections in the second
degree took place on the 3rd January, and'the results were a foregone conclusion.
Voters were protected by a strong military force, with artillery and tanks.
4. The Nationalists are of course extremely bitter against the Moderates,
who have “won ” the game, and it is felt that the prestige of the mandate has
suffered by the refusal of the authorities to show the voting urns open before
balloting took place, as well as by the methods of intimidation subsequently
employed. The elected members are execrated by the mass of the population,
and I hear that Subhi Bey Barakat will risk his life in going to Damascus.
5. The attitude towards the election campaign of the French authorities
and the civilian French element may be judged by the remark of the assistant
delegate that “ the Syrians are like naughty children, they have to be punished,”
and by the description by a prominent and intellectual French lady, of the former
delegate at Damascus, as a person who was not a good administrator “ he
managed such and such elections very badly, the Nationalists got in.” In sharp
contrast to this mentality was the criticism of M. Chauvet, of the French
diplomatic career, on a visit to Aleppo, who had nothing but contempt for the
methods employed and the officials who employed them. It is characteristic
however, of the prejudices of his nation that he compared the defects of the
trench mandate, not with the British mandate in Iraq and Palestine but with
the awful possibility of an Italian mandate.
Copies of this despatch have been sent to Beirut (No. 4) and to Damascus
(J\o. 1).
I have, &c.
A. MONCK-MASON.
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