New-York tribune., 1922-05-27
France Facing
SYRIAN Menace,
Crane W arms
American "IJnder 20 Years
Sentence" Sends Word to
Poincarc POLICY VIII Cost
a Billion Fratlns n Year
100000 Troops Needed
Received Cordially in Official
Circles Despite Reported
Action of Court Martial

PARIS, May 26 BY The Associated
Press4 Charles r. Crane, former
American Minister to China, who is
said to have been sentenced to twenty
years in prison by the French
military authorities in Syria, has told
number Of French Senators that a
continuance Of the French military
administration Of Syria will cost
France a billion francs a year and will
require an army Of 100000 troops.
One of the Senators who has heard
Mr.. Cranes views, Senator Victor
Berard, has undertaken to present them
to Premier Poincare.
1t was Mr.. Cranes wish to see NJ
Poincare personally, but the Premier
is away on a holiday for three days
and Mr. Crane must start for England
to morrow.
1t is Mr. Cranes desire to bring to
the attention Of the French govern
ment facts relating to Syria of which
he thinks the government is not aware,
and which he believes they viii hasten
to correct when they know the actual
situation.
p't'''
among his callers and have heard his
explanation Of the Syrian dssatisfac-
ton with the French military admins
tration and the terrorist police au-
thorties Of Damascus, against whom
the chief hostility OF the population
is directed.
Not Told of Sentence
Mr.. Crane went to the Foreign Office
this afternoon. where he was received
by NJ Clinchant, Director OF Asiatic
Affairs, which include Asia Minor and
Syria
Mr. Crane has not thus far had the
slightest intimation of any official or
legal action taken against him except
from newspaper inquiries based on the
press report from Cairo. 1t appears
that check for $1,000, signed by Mr..
Crane and found in the pocket of one
of his Syrian friends who took part
in a demonstrative farewell to him at
Damascus, was seemingly the principal
reason for the French military authori
ties in Damascus to believe that the
American was melting sedition. The
check was for advance expenses in con-
nection with caravan journey into the
interior, which Mr.. Crane had planned
for next autumn.
DR.. Beronder. in whose pocket the
check was found, was one of eight
Syrians sentenced by French court
martial for varying terms of imprlson-
ment for participating in the farewell,
which the French construed as a riot.
The doctor received the longest sem
tence. fifteen years. He is described by
Mr.. Crane as brilliant graduate of
the college at Beirut, a Mahometan
of position and of strictest pety.
French Not Hostile to Crane
The French official opinion regarding
Mr.. Cranes visit to Syria is that he
acquired point Of view regarding the
future Of Syria when he was there ct
the head of the Investigating commits
sion three years ago, which has devei-
oped into sort of doctrine which he
is advocating, at some times with some
sharpness. But they do not doubt his
good faith and there was never any
question of bringing him to account in
any way, although troubles did develop
from his visit.
Mr. Crane, after leaving Syria, went
to Constantinople and had a talk there
with General Gouraud. which is offered
as ample proof that there was no in
tention Of the military authorities to
take action in his case. While in
Syria, it is said by officials in Paris,
he saw principally the adherents OF
Fcissl, King Of the lrak region of Mes
opotamia and former King of Syria,
who was opposed to French influence in
Asia Minor.
The troubles in Damascus occurred
after Mr.. Cranes departure. Some of
the former partisans of Feisal were ar
rested and prosecuted and some of
them were confined. 1t is regarded as
possible that the reports from Cairo
either originated among disaffected
Syrians there or were merely a confu-
sion of names.