Evening star., 1941-07-02
'Terroristic' Raids
On Beirut Protested
To i. 5. by French
lebunese Capital forget
Of Sewage Attack Lost
Night, Vichy Reports

N'9"'s VS"y NePo'ts
BY the Associated Press.
The French mandate government
today addressed strong protest to
the American Government against
what was described as 'terrCristic'
British bomhardments of Beirut,
Lebanon, a dispatch from the Leb-
anon capital said.
The French high commissioner
added his own protest to that OF
the local government, pointing out
that the French had not bombed
large cities in either Syria or Pales-
tine despite the fact that number
of British troops were garrisoned
in Damascus and in Palestine towns
The British have reported raid
on Damascus in which several
civilians were killed, but British
sources said the planes were Ger
man
Protest Made to Consul.
The Lebanon protest was handed
to the American Consul at Beirut
with the request that it be trans
mitted to Washington and even
tually to London. The British raids
on Beirut since Sunday night were
believed responsible for the protest,
The number of killed and wounded
has not yet been announced, but it
is known to have been heavy. Every
quarter of the city has been attacked
several times and last night four
separate heavy raids occurred.
Among the places which the gov
ernment permitted to be identified
as destroyed were the Brothers Col
lege and several Christian schools
in addition to the high commits
sioner's residence.
Military circles in Vichy, unoc-
cupied France, declared the Lebs-
neGe capital was attacIed "unin-
terruptedly and savagely" last night
in one OF the most intense British
aerial bombardments since the war
spread to the LeVant states. Extent
of casualties and damage was not
disclosed
Activity around Palmyra.
Meanwhile, British forces beSieg-
ing Palmyra. important Syrian des-
ert air base, continued to be active
Air SmaSheS over a wide area of
Syria. including attacks on the
Beirut watergront and the Palmyra
airbase, were reported by the R.
A. F. Near East communique in
Cairo.
Ships in Beiruts harbor were be-
lieved to have been damaged by
near misses in the raids Monday
night. the commumioue said. and
hits were observed on the Lebanese
ports main docks and central
quays.
In the attack on Palmyra yester-
day. it said direct hits were scored
on barracks, warehouses snd other
buildings. Aleppo, another i'm
portant airbase, was attacked and
at least one French plane de-
stroyed and others damaged. At
Kayak, two grounded planes were
said to have been destroyed and
four damaged.
British forces have recaptured a
position menacing Palmyra. the
Near East general headquarters de-
clared in Cairo.
British Reinforced.
British troops have captured
Soukhne, 40 miles northeast of
Palmyra, and have taken two posi-
tions on the road from captured
Damascus to Beirut, it was reported
authoritatively in London.
These reports said British forces in
Syria have been reinforced.
In desert battle northeast Of
Palmyra British and Free French
mechanical cavalry and an Arab
legion desert patrol broke up a
French mobile column yesterday,
capturing four officers and 60 men.
a British military spokesman stated
in Jerusalem last night.
OF II French vehicles in the
column, including eight armored
cars, less than half escaped, the
spokesman said. British and Free
French casualties were put at one
killed and one wounded.
Attempt to Kill Dentz Reported.
The Tel .Aviv newspaper Omer
yesterday reported an attempt on
the life of Gen. Henri Dentz, COM
mander of the French forces, at
Beirut on June 25. The newspaper
said an unidentified man fired one
shot as Gen. Dentz entered his car,
the bullet going wide. The assailant
escaped.
French warplanes were thrown
into the fight to help the besieged
French garrison at Palmyra and
forces in the -Ez-Zor region,
also in Eastern Syria, a dispatch
from Beirut said
At Palmyra the French planes
were SAID to have strafed attacking
British columns, scattering one,
which was advancing from Iraq.
Jacques Benoist Mechin, vice
chairman of the Vichy cabinet, had
one-hour conference yesterday
with President Ismet Inonu, tc
whom he delivered a personal mes
sage from Vichy Chief of State
Marshal Petain.
Informed sources said Benoist-
Mechin's request for Turkish aic
in French defense of Syria has beer
rejected by Turkish political leaders