File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎14r] (38/586)

PRESS SUPPLEMENT.
.
Lisan al Arab No. 31, August 2. 1 ' ' • ; »
Speech of the Amir Faisal at the Armenian reception.
1 . Nothing of political importance as he had already said all he had to say. He praised the
Armenians for sacrificing everything in the cause of liberty, said they were doing well in America
and England and hoped they would be active members of the ‘ Iraq state. He undertook with
great pleasure to protect Armenian refugees who would be well treated here.
Damascus Faisal and Abdullah, by the correspondent of the Akhbar in Damascus.
The Damascenes were always expecting Faisal back but when they found he was not coming
their attention turned to Abdullah. In spite of the official policy of turning out ail’Abdullah’s
friends the people still hold to Inm. The French force the people to decorate the shops on
Genet al Gouraud s visits and this increases the contrary desire. French papers are publishing bad
reports about East of Jordan so as to discourage people.
3. A long article on Faisal’s present to the “Imam” Mahdi al Khalisi.
Lisan al Arab No. 32, August 3.—{Suppressed before issue).
Two Policies.
We have promised our readers an article on the leader which appeared in the Jthram in
connection with the policy of the English and French Government in the East, the former siding
with the Arabs and the latter siding with the Turk.
We do not know the reasons which caused others to believe that the French are siding with
the Turks and supporting them. If such reasons were to be based on history, history tells us that
England was the first Power to maintain the autocracy (saltanah) of Turkey. In the days when France
stood as a spectator, during the Russian war of 1878, England gathered her fleet in the Dardanelles
and warned the Russian army not to march on Constantinople. Again when France was support
ing Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Khedive of Egypt, against Turkey, England stood on the side of
Turkey and forced the Egyptian raider to evacuate Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. and be content with Egypt. But
the policy of the Turks, which changed its direction from London to Berlin, somewhat disgusted
British statesmen and made them suspect and fear German influence in the Near East and Asia
Minor, and they began to search for an influential element in the Islamic world, an element with
a glorious history, which would support England against other nations if England stretched out
her hand towards it. She found it in the Arabs and nowhere else, for they were then preparing
to separate from Turkey and secure independence and establish an Arab Government equal to
other governments. When the world war broke out, England who desired to reejp^^the friend
ship with Turkey by a friendship with an Arab government in the East found it'essential to her
interests and those of the Arabs who wish to live free that the two nations should enter the
field together.
France, who stood idly by in face of these great events in the East, did not do well in her
Eas’tern policy but continued to follow her old system, disregarding the sentiments of Eastern
nations. She did not even participate with England in a clear official manner in the treaty
with the Hijaz. . When the war was over and the Syrian question was under discussion
she listened to the intrigues of the party which desired to colonize and caused that woeful
accident in Syria which made the heart of every Arab bleed and wronged those among French
statesmen who saw justly and desired that the Arabs should be treated as an independent nation.
If we were to compare the help offered by Great Britain to the Arabs with that offered by
France to Turkey, we should find a great difference, because France did nothing better than the
provision which lays down that Constantinople should be detached from Turkey if she failed to
execute the treaty. She also did not do justice to them in the question of the Straits nor did she
raise her voice in the matter of Smyrna and Thrace until her enemy Constantine sat on the throne
of Greece. Then she made an agreement with Turkey, which has been rejected by the Council
at Angora because of the injustice it contained and the harm it did to their honour. As for England
the last change in her policy has proved that she found no one but the Arabs fit for her confidence
in the Near East and now she is performing her duty in ’Iraq in alllowing the nation to use full
freedom in carrying out its wish and establishing a strong power. All this is being done by
England while France is silent in reply to the call of Syrian Liberals who make the least possible
demands from her, the execution of the text of the mandate which said that what happens, in ’Iraq,
must happen also in Syria and what is accomplished here must be accomplished there.
It is needless to comment on the delusions of France which say that the bullets of Kunaitra
issued from the factories of ’Aman, as the Ahram reports, because ’Abdullah did not take over the
East of Jordon but for the purpose of preserving peace and tranquility. I am aware that this is a
time of discussion and demands and not a time for the laying of traps and rousing enmities, and if
the Amii wished to disturb the works of the French, their situation would have been altered by
the arrival of the Amir ‘Abdullah. But the Amir believes that the Arabs gain more by peace than
b y revolution. If it were not his desire to keep peace, French complaints would have been greater.
Is it the fault of the Amir if the mistaken policy in Syria excites the people and makes them rise ?
If France wishes Syria to be peaceful she must give them freedom to express their washes, union,
independence and the leadership of an Arab king. Then the name of France in these regions
would be an example of freedom, glory and true honour. 1 he icpi esentatives of the colonizing
party try in vain to cover the mistakes which have been made in Syria with frail curtains, laying
the responsibility on the Government of East of Jordon, on the strength of their assurance
that Turkey is a successful, and peaceful nation while the Arabs are a nation of agitators.