The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-25
SENTENCED
TO 20 YEARS
In PRISON
Charge Chicago Man In
cited Disturbances
in Syria.

Chicago. May Sentence OF
30 years in prison on a charge Of
melting recent disturbances in
French mandate territory in Syria
has been meted out to Charles r.
Crane, of Chicago, by a French mill
tary court in Damascus, according
to a copyrighted dispatch from
Cairo, Egypt, published today in the
Chicago Daily News. The dispatch
is based on reports published in
Arabian newspapers received in
Cairo, which says the military
court passed the sentence "after
hearing by default (that is, in the
absence of the accused).''
A notice in the newspapers, the
dispatch continues, quoting the Of
ficiaI communique, adds that the
American government has been
notified of the verdict.
The dispatch continues:
Can't Enforce Sentence.
"While Mr.. Crane in the course
of his travels avoids France and the
French positions, there is little
possibility that the sentence will
be carried out
According to the newspapers
the court held Mr.. Crane was equal
ly responsible with numerous SyT-
ians who are serving terms in pris-
on on account of the outbreak.
Miss Twsiech Rahwand1i, Is
years old, was recently arrested in
Damascus because she was pupil
of Miss Nazid Aabed, a Mosiem
teacher involved in the disturbanc-
es. Miss Aabed was one of the
women selected by Mr.. Crane to re-
ceive educational benefit in the
United States
His check for 81 900 to defray
her travelling expenses prompted
the charge that the American gov
ernment was subsidizinE the SyT-
ian malcontents.
She was arrested, deported from
Damascus, and confined in Jail
near Douma, but she recently made
her escape.
According to reports, gendarmes
arrested the Rawhandji girl in the
hope of learning Miss Aabed's
whereabouts. After they had put
her through the third degree" in
a vain effort to force the child to
give information they sought, they
locked her up for two hCUsg n m
empty tomb. She was then taken
back to prison in a state OF col
lapse.
Paris. May 25.-(By FHe o.
ciated Press. Charles R. Crane,
who is reported to have been con-
demned BY a French military court
to 20 years imprisonment, Is now
stopping at a Paris hotel. When he
was seen at his hotel this after
noon and asked concerning his
condemnation, he refused to say
anything in regard to the Sylvan
situation, adding that he was max
, ing an effort to do something re-
garding it.
Mr.. Crane has not been under
arrest or surveillance. When he
goes out of the hotel he moves
about entirely unobseryed by the
civil or military authorities.
! Mr.. Crane said he would not be
ready to speak until he reached
! New York, as he intends working
along the same lines in London"
| From a travelling companion Of
| Mr.. Crane it was learned that he
was seeing members of the French
chamber and senate regarding the
| Syrian situation.
{. S. Repudiates Crane.
! Washington. May 25.-Inquiry has
been made by the French govern
ment of the state department as to
the precise status of Charles R.
! Crane, who for the last six months
/ has been conducting an inquiry into
conditions in the near east. The
state department, it was learned to-
day, has replied that Mr.. Crane was
acting entirely on his own initia-
tive and authority, and was with
out any government commission.
| Mr.. Crane, after a trip across
Siberia into soviet Russia last year
and after short visit to the United
States, left for southern Europe, il
being stated that he intended visit
/ ing Albania, and perhaps Anatoho
which was just being evacuated by
!