Coll 6/17 'Syria: Political situation in Syria' [‎63r] (125/180)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THB PROPERTY OF HIS^jBRITAWWIC MAJESTY’S QOYERKMENT
EASTERN (Syria).
U / • I
927 1
January 18, 1932.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 1.
L_1932_J
ii 271/171/89j
No. 1.
Consul Hole to Sir John Simon — (Received January 18.)
(No. 7. Confidential.)
Sir, Damascus, January 4, 1932.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 104 of the 22nd December, 1931,
regarding the disturbances on the occasion of the election, I have the honour to
report on the progress of events till to-day.
2. The city is still in charge of the army, though a state of siege has not
been proclaimed. The control has been made somewhat less ostentatious than on
the first few days after the troubles; the curfew has been abolished and barricades
removed, but strategic points in the town are strongly occupied and tanks and
armoured cars are held in readiness. Pickets and patrols are numerous.
3. A committee has been formed to collect subscriptions on behalf of
casualties in the disturbances; the members represent every section of the popula
tion, and include many most reputable personages.
4. It seemed at one moment that M. Ponsot would arrive at complete agree
ment with the National party : Wasseq-el-Muayyad and Bahij-el-Khatib were
both removed and the general atmosphere of the discussions was friendly. But
at the council of delegates held at the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. on the 30th December, the
proposal of M. Solomiac to postpone all elections was overruled and it was
decided in accordance with M. Lavastre’s advice to proceed with the elections
to-morrow in all districts, except Damascus, Hama and Douma, where they will
be held at a date not yet fixed.
5. Damascus will be closed to-morrow in protest, and the attitude of the
Nationalists towards the elections will depend on the Aleppo results : if the chief
Nationalist candidates are elected, they will contest the elections at Damascus;
otherwise they will boycott them.
6. In an interview, published on the 31st December, Jamil Beg Mardam Beg
outlined the Nationalist demands—fresh elections in Damascus, Hama and Douma
and eleven (of twenty-nine) wards in Aleppo, where it is asserted that practically
the entire electorate has protested. As yet, this last demand has been refused,
though no official statement has been issued by the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. .
7. The High Commission invited the National party to include in its list
three candidates who were acceptable to the French authorities, Nassouhi Beg
El Boukhari, Mohamed Ali Beg El Abid, and Rida Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Rikabi. The first
was already conditionally on their list; they had coquetted with the second for
some time on account of his great wealth, but the third is anathema. Their reason
for refusal was, however, based on the principle that in a free election a party
chooses its own candidates.
8. I am glad to record that Nationalist leaders have refrained from any
attempt to excite public feeling in somewhat tempting circumstances and seem
to be animated by a sincere desire to reach agreement with the French
Administration.
9. I am sending copies of this despatch direct to His Majesty’s High
Commissioners at Jerusalem and Bagdad, the British Resident at Amman, His
Majesty’s consul-general at Beirut, and His Majesty’s consul at Aleppo.
I have, &c.
E. C. HOLE.
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