Evening star., 1941-06-03
The Race for Syriu

The titanic struggle between Brit
ain and Germany in the Near East is
becoming essentially a race against
time. Both sides are busy consoli-
dating recent gains and preparing
for the next major battle. The Brit
ish have partially balanced the loss
of Crete by their victory in Iraq
while their heavy naval losses are
somewhat offset by serious casualties
of the German air arm in planes,
equipment and highly trained per-
Sonnel.
A brief period of mopping up and
consolidation presumably will be re-
quired by the Germans in Crete and
by the British in Iraq, where the vital
oil districts of Mosul in the north
are not yet in their hands. But it
may be expected that both antagon-
lists have their eyes fixed upon Syria,
which is in many ways the key to
the entire strategic situation.
Syria is held by France under a
mandate from the League oSNations.
The League is now practically de-
funct and France has handed in her
resignation. The French army of
occupation is supposed to number
about $4,000 under the command of
General Dentz, who appears to be
loyal to the Vichy government and
ready to carry out its orders. Vichy.
has cast in it's lot so thoroughly with
Germany that a state of war between
it and Britain appears inevitable.
Already General Dentz has collabo-
rated with the Germans, who are
establishing themselves in Syria,
especially at Aleppo, though as yet
their hold is slight.
But already there are reports that
a German mechanical force has
been landed at Latakia. Relatively
easy access to Syria by sea is barred
only by the British island of Cyprus,
almost within sight of the Syrian
coast. Yet Cyprus may be a tough
nut to crack. 1t lies 400 miles east
of Crete and 300 miles from the
Italian base on the island of Rhodes.
Assuming that the British have
strongly fortified and garrisoned
Cyprus, German air blitz against
the island will be formidable un-
dertaking, with supporting British
air bases in Palestine only a trifle
over 100 miles away.
The British thus have a favorable
moment for occupying Syria and
thereby closing the door on the
Asiatic mainland to German pene-
tration. Once established in the
Mosul region, they could move
against Syria simultaneously from
there and from Palestine, where
large British forces are already
massed, headed by Free French"
forces of General De Gaulle. The
French Army in Syria is being bonn
barded by De Gaullist propaganda,
and desertions to Palestine have al
ready taken place, though not on a
large scale. This army is made up
chiefly of colonial troops and the
Foreign Legion, both of whom will
probably obey orders and resist a
British invasion.
The British presumably will not
hesitate to occupy Syria if the enter
prise is militarily feasible The main
question would seem to be whether
they have the requisite strength. De-
spite the arrival of troops from East
Africa and India, Britain must keep
strong forces on the Libyan border of
Egypt, where Axis pressure is again
increasing. Yet the alternative of
leaving Syria in practically hostile
hands is so serious that the British
high command may be expected to
take every justifiable risk. The de-
cision may not come today or TO-
morrow, but it cannot be long de-
layed,