Evening star., 1924-10-08
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL =. COLLINS.

Arabia and approached King Hussein
with a plan to appeal TO all tribes 10
lay aside their feuds and, taking ad-
vantage of the general war, unite
against their Turkish oppressors. lie
travelled from tribe to tribe, in the
disguise of an Arab, and his know
edge of their many dialects, together
with his persuasive eloduence, sue
ceeded beyond all expectations. only
one tribe remained unreconciled.
With Prince Feisel. son OF King Hus
sein, as the nominal head of the army
of 100000 united tribesmen 0ater al
lied with Gen. Allenby's army they
drove the Turks from Mecca to
Damascus and Aleppo.
Lawrence's policy was to give full
est possible credit to Arabian lead
ers, although he was the actual lead
er of the tribesmen. He became rec
ognized throughout Arabia as Shereet
(Prince) of Mecca, and among Brit
iSh officers as the "uncrowned King.
of Arabia He refused a commission
as general, as he believed 1t would
weaken his influence on his fellow Of
ficers II he were promoted above them
with high British rank. He also de-
clined the Victoria Cross, in order to
/ prevent jealousy.
The wahabis (who refused to join
with the other tribes against the
Turks) are now fighting Hedjaz. King
! IIussein, fearing that they would
lombard the holy City Of Mecca, has
.preferred TO abdicate tho throne 10
| his son. in order to rreserve the
sacred places from destruction. How
his successor. Emil Ali. will prevent
the hombardment is not clear, al.
though he * known to be a mar or
brilliant military record and moro
modern and progressive than his
father. Since the World War he has
successfully fought the brigands be
tween Mecca and Jeddah--the 'tonb
of Eve" 4 younger brother. Emir
Abdcllah. is King OF Transjordania,
which is part Of the mandate terri
tory giveE to Great Britain by the
treaty of Versailles. Another brother,
Feisel, is King, or lrak, OF Mesopo-
! tamia, also part OF the British man
date. All three thrones have been
and remain subsidized by Great Brit
ain, for the British found IL impossi-
BILE to rule the tribes without the
nominal recognition Of these Arabian
| Kings, but there are official British
advisers, or residents" behind each
throne. The subsidy to the throne
corresponding sums to the Irak and
Transjordania thrones. A younger
prince, son OF Hussein, is now en-
route to London. with a mission to
appeal for protection of Hedjaz and
the other Kingdoms, and for greater
ecognition OF war pledges that He'd
jag should be the head of an autono-
nous alliance of Free Arabia---a ma
tion half as populous as France.
Hussein opposed the British de-
mand that he should recognize Brit
ish sovereignty over Palestine, al
though he had expressed q readiness
to welcome Jews therein for the
building up of q Jewish homeland
| under Moslerl rule. This may explain
somewhat his forced abdication. The
new King, Ali, is said TO have prom
| ised to accede to the British regard
ing Palestine. in consideration of
support against the Wahabis.
There are several candidates for
the caliphate, including King Fuad of
Egypt, supported by Great Britain,
the Sultan of Morocco, supported by
France, and the Sultan of AfGhanis-
ton, supported by Russia. There has
been some agitation in Trance for re-
| irfstating the deposed Turkish caliph,
Abdul Medjik, but it Is not taken Sc
riously,
|. Uepys4S4t LIZA. ~ paul Y. CoAIns4