Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
CRUELTY IN SYRIA
CALLED REVOLVING
Mercenaries in French Serv.
ice and Rebel Natives
MutiIate Foes.
BY the Associated Press.


DAMASCUS, June 28.-Syria
today is writing in the throes or one
of the cruelest wars ever waged, and
charges and countercharges of atroci.
ties of the most revolving sort are
constantly being made.
Y Stories of disemboWeled men found
along the roadside, OF others found
with their cars cut off and suffering
from the most atrocious kinds of mu
tilation are common.
Without soing into the matter OF
responsibility for the present situa
ion, the Fact remains that Syria
which it was intended should enjoy
,eace and prosperity under the pro.
ection of the League of Nations, now
is Il country where the hangman oper
ates in the public square.
Barricades Replace Orchards.
Whether the journey were made by
road or railway, one used to enter
Damascus through a long stretch OF
orchards and running waters in pleas
ant GASES and gardens. Today one
passes through barbed-wire barricades
and danger turks everywhere.
AS explained by Syrians to cor
respondent for the Associated Press,
the use of Circassan and Armenian
mercenary troops by the French com
mand is the greatest obstacle to peace
in the inundated territory. Syrians
and DruSeS profess even greater
hatred for these mercenaries than
they hold for the Senegalese and the
AlgerianS.
Soltan Attrache. in his statement to
the American people on June IS. made
1t most plain that the arming Of the
Christian Circassians and Armenians
b" the French was one of the bitter
est causes of resentment among the
hruseS. Nationalist leaders in Da-
mascus charged these mercenaries
with revolving atrocities.
French Troops Acquitted.
While allowance must be made for
the hatred for their opponents under
which the dissident tribesmen arc
laboring. neutral observers who have
been in Syria since the armed hostili-
ties began are inclined to believe that
some acts contrary to the laws of civ.
ilized warfare have been committed.
In no case. however, have the French
white troops been implicated in any
of these alleged acts.
Reports of the alleged atrocities
have been placed on file in every neu-
trail consulate in Damascus and their
respective governments have been in
formed of them. The neutral observ-
ers feel hat the French government
would welcome a League of Nations
investigation into these charges OF
should conduct one itself.
On the other hand, some of the dis
affected tribesmen and most of the
ordinary armed bandits who infest the
ri Of no
OF Syria do not stand on any cere-
mony in adhering to the laws of or
gained warfare. Acts of brigandage
and reports of atrocities which they
have committed against the French
troops are too numerous to relate
Have FerociOus Appearance.
Whatever the behavior of the Cir
cassians, they certainly have a feroci-
GUS appearance. The Associated Press
correspondent, walking in company
with a French officer on the outskirts
Of Damascus, met Circassian police
man wearing a fur bonnet in a tenn
perature Of 102 degrees in the shade.
The Circassian carried a long rifle,
two leather belts filled with cartridges
and three hand grenades slung from
his shoulders. What sort of men are
these?" asked the correspondent.
'Brigands," the French officer re-
piled, but likes cure likes"
The Armenians, with so many
scores to settle against the Moslems,
also are charged with the utmost
cruelty on many occasions.
What are you grumbling about?"
a Circassian asked a Syrian on one
occasion. You claim the French have
taken all the gold out of Syria and
transferred it to France Well, we are
bringing it back to Damascus for you
and putting it back to circulation"
He jingled a fistful of gold pounds in
his pocket as he spoke The pay of
these mercenaries is so Turkish gold
pounds monthly