The Washington times., 1920-05-08
DECE|VES
ARRIVING TOURIST
Syrian City Seems Beautiful
From Bay, But Is Shabby at
Close Range.
ny SIR PERCIvAL PHILLIPS,
stan Correspondent OF the Interna'
tlonaI News Service and the Lon
don Daily Express.

tionnl News Service and the Lon
don Daily Express.
BEIRUT, May S.-From the deck OF
the Baron Call (the most dilatory
steamer that ever Ioafed along the
Syrian coast northward from Port
Said) Beirut was the fairest picture
Of a town / had seen this side OF the
desert. Which should have been sur
ficiert warning to expect the worst.
We elbowed our wAy.~fnto the
crowded harbor and gazed hopefully
on her deceptive beauty. Tier upon
tier of white houses rose steeply from
the waters edge; there were allurins
splashes of green among the roottops.
ornate public buildings. church domes
and mlnarets; a background of steep
mountain slopes reaching skyward to
the snowy crest of Lebanon, lost in
drifting clouds. A desirable city in
deed, obviously outranking in size
and splendor her competitors for the
rich trade Of Syria.
The harbor shouted as much. Thir-
tx steamers Of. half a dozen nation
5Nugg, '! for room inside the
skryy-9isA, demanding more or
g6Ll@nd in as many Ian
-an :" WIgiate supply Of light
~oii - HIgremen. The mother
!. iNLH oASe hSi SS
|, -Asi2sageries mailboat edged
e. s.S}khrough the horde Of
X .,sSfeE Greek, italian, japanese
and Portuguese freighters-some of
them renamed German prizes begin
ming a new and better life-and ex-
hibited the latest general on her
bridge deck. A trooper was dis
charging her cargo of Algerian in
fantry at the quay. Soldiers over
ran the foreground of this lively
scene, and the tri-color of France
flew taut in the morning breeze.
DIsiIIusioned on Shore.
When brusque young lieutenant
Of colonial infantry had stamped our
passports-rejecting those not bear
ing the wise of his consul at Port
Said-we were at liberty to go ashore
and be disillusioned.
The mirage vanished like an Arab
ian Nights set at Drury Lane.
Remained only the usual dirty,
dust ridden, down-at-heel city OF the
East. crying out for fresh paint and
sanitation.
You imagine you are back in the
war zone. French troops are every
where. The familiar scenes of the
http Soo'
mind, and yeti is not the same.
Not the same type of soldier. nor yet
of officer. These are, for the most
part, hard-bitten, SCARED, and
scorched legions of northern Africa.
Algerians in red fezzes and khaki
wander among the bazaars: occa-
sionally shiny black Senegalese
flashes his cleaning teeth at you
from a ration cart.
Elderly majors, burned brown by
the African sun, lean, wHnkled and
liverish. stare grimly at you through
pince-nez; tailored young subalterns,
thinking Of Paris Iand hating Beirut,
rsnsack the meagerly stocked book
shops; black k-haired captains from the
Midi and slim staff officers from
headquarters on the hill, Spahis, and
gunners sift through the varied
throng, which Is Beirut out of doors.
Bring Strange stories.
From time TO time a trooper Is re-
laden with KHAKI! and vsnishes north
ward; a column marches to the rail-
way station. entrains and climbs over
the Lebanon range. From the hin
terland which swallows them up come
sinister. conflicting reports of fight
ing and of brigandage. Travellers,
btldleu ulSHtNtltu' III o.
intervals from Aleppo and other CEN
ters OF unrest. You pick up strange
stories of their experiences in the
hill country.
The city itself Is as calm as Lon
DON Yet beneath the busy routine
of everyday life you detect an air of
anxiety. a feeling OF tension. OF un-
certainty tinged with apprehension.
The country is troubled, and 40 are It's
people.
The only patient people are the
poor. the starving poor They take
with gratitude the doles OF rice
given them by the kindly French, but
they seem to have little interest and
less hope in the future. They have
suffered much. AS I came back to my
dilatory steamer I saw little ragged
children lowering in the roadway. A
laden lorry dashed by AT breakneck
speed. They dartcd into tho dust.
and when II had passed CROPPED there
With eager hands They were search.
ing for grams OF corn that might
have fallen from the bursting sacka