Evening star., 1941-07-06
Member of the Associated Press.
Cleanup in Syria

The BRUSH eNIuelIIy are lIdhlAAS
the most of German preoccupatlon
with the Russian campaign by con-
solidating their position III the Near
East, especially in Syria. Large re-
Inducements, presumably 1ndlan
troops. have entered Syria from 1raq,
moving up the valley of the Euphrates
River. This column has captured
Deir-ez-Zor, the chief French post
and air base on the eastern frontier.
This opens the way for further ad-
vance up the Euphrates along the
highroad to Aleppo, some 200 miles
farther west. This large city Is the
kew to Northern Syria. Once in Brit
ish hands, the only practicable line
of retreat for the Vichy forces north
ward into Turkish territory would be
cut off.
An even more immediate danger
to the bulk of the French forces con-
centrated in the Lebanon region mas
arisen with the British capture of
Tadmor in Central Syria. Tadmor,
known in ancient times as Palmyra,
Is the natural junction for several
trade routes, especially the direct
line from the EuphrateS due west to
the Mediterranean coast of Syria. 1t
was stoutly defended by a detach-
ment of the Foreign Legion, but had
to be evacuated, presumably from
lack of ammunition and food. The
next strategic point on this route is
Hons, less than a hundred miles
west, Here the British could cut the
railway running from Damascus to
Aleppo, with coastal branches to the
ports of Beirut and Tripoli. That
would further isolate and encircle
the remaining French forces.
Latest reports indicate that those
forces are becoming badly disor-
ganized. Recent British air bombings
of Beirut have caused native unrest,
while the Senegalese and Annamite
troops appear to be getting out of
hand. Most of General Dentzs army
In Syria is composed OF colonial
troops from various parts OF the
French Empire. The proportion OF
Frenchmen in his command cannot
be large. The only other white ele-
ment is the Foreign Legion. So
heterogeneous an army cannot possess
a uniform morale, and once diSaf-
fection begins it is liable to spread
rapidly.
While precise information is still
lacking, negotiations obviously are
under way for a liquidation of the
increasingly hopeless position in
which General Dentz finds himself.
Some time ago, Jacques Benoit-
Mechin, Secretary of State in the
Vichy cabinet, made flying trip to
Ankara, the Turkish capital, where
he has been comforting with the
Turkish government. Apparently he
tried to arrange for an evacuation Of
the French forces through Turkish
territory, but Ankara has seemingly
declined to permit this except under
the usual terms of disarmament and
irternment for the duration OF the
war. There were also rumors that
Vichy would have liked Turkey to
occupy Northern Syria in advance OF
a British occupation. The Turks have
claims to this region, but apparently
they do not intend to act In any
manner that would offend the Brit
ish. Refik Saydam, the Turkish
Premier, in an address before the
Turkish Parliament last Friday,
stated that Turkeys foreign policy
remained based on the alliance
with England. He admitted that
Turkeys position toward Syria was
delicate because of the amicable re-
lations entertained for both Britain
and France, but suggested nothing
beyond platonic expression of SYM
pathy for the Syrian people.
1t thus appears that Britain has a
free hand in liquidating the stub
born French resistance in Syria.
And, from all indications, the end is
Naor