The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-11-25

WOulQ-De cOnquerOrS or the plalnSmeI
Revolt of the Druses.
A certain amount of disorder ha
existed in some parts of Syria since 1911
when the British forces which hat
captured the country, withdrew. Con
flicting groups sprang into action. The
: Arabs wished control of Syria anc
Palestine as well as other parts OF
Arabia by Arabss the Syrians demand
ed an Independent united Syria with
Syrians in charge; and Turkish propa-
ganda was active for resumption OF
Turkish control. All the groups were
opposed to a continuation Of the
French mandate. In March, 1920, ex-
tremists proclaimed Feisal, now king
of Iraq, liking of Syria" with his cap
ital at Damascus. After a delay Of
several months French forces CAP
tured Damascus and unseated Feisal.
For more than year the Hauran
and the Jebel ed-Druze held out
against the French; but in the spring
OF 1921 they were granted autonomy.
the new Druse state comprising chiefly
the Jebel ed-Druze. 1t was to be un-
der French supervision but independ-
ent of Damascus.
The recent revolt of the Druses was
due to the refusal of the French high
commissioner of Syria to remove an
unpopular governor of the Druse state
When French troops were removed
from Syria to Morocco the trouble
came to an open rupture.
Since the defeat of Emir Feisal in
1870 the French have been attempting
to put the administration of the coun-
try more and more into native hands
making the high commissionership "a
mission Of mere assistance and adj
vice." Even the services of mail, tele-
graph, police and navigation have
oeen placed under Syrian control.
The Druses of Hauran have one of
lhe queerest Of mixed religions. Their
religion forbids them to use alcohol
TOBACCO or profanity but binds them to
take life for life when one Of their
'ribe is killed. They believe the
"orids population remains ever con-
'tant and that tines duration is ex-
lctly 343,000,OOO years.
Nominally Mohammedan tho Drnso.
ave embodied in their faith features
Il the teachings of the old Hebrew
'rophets and Jesus. and supplemented
MS mosaic with ideas from yarIous
'agan sources. |
"hen stranger visits Drusa I
ONE his host places before him two c
ars one filled with water, the otbe- Il
mpty. If the visitor is Druso h.
7ill pour the water of one into tho
ther to signify his belief In transmit
ration of souls
Lebanon and Its Cedars. Ii
one or the most interesting parts Of h
yria is the Lebanon. II will no 70 t;
iiied that the massacres of Chris. u
ans In 1860 led to European intor- C
ention. From that time Lebanon 6
as an Independent sanjak or nrov a
ce' governed by a mushir who no, G
We a christian and was appointad
T nVe years. with the consent of tba
eat powers. There was no comnu,
ny turkish military service sn,au W
cal force Of paid soldiers did no,,oa a.
lty. Taxation was light. Under tb,s !
ni'nH tration excellent roads woro .,
UT throughout the provinco :. al
lich nearly all villages were reached os IT
d benefited. ae''eu
A grove of only about am 30
nous cedars of Lebanon now ~, -" Sc
''ns near the town of Bsherreb ~ tt
'e'iers In Syria, where forests ., an ia
rs 90 not exist. these maiost,' in
lars must be overawing. A moderr NJ
ran writer says of them thar thon ia
"undeniably the most lofty 90 "n
vegetable kingdom" Tho TO-.
u they are about eighty feet b,os
icn IS more than the height Of H. tn
es OF an average American fore". VIC o..
! striking popularity of these 80 80. -
' ana srowtn OF their branches, which .,
END straight out at right angles a'.n 81
,runK and are furnished with ~ an
ulngly thick foliage, brown as a cit
IN beneath, but whom v,o,ra', seen pla
nll'sides their upper surto !" rom vii
! 'D'. res rlch' dark-green lawn strs
Win cones STANDING oroo. ''o bel