Evening star., 1943-11-13
Lebanon Frucus

The political crisis In Lebanon pre-
cipitated by the drastic and uni
lateral action of Jean Helleu. the
French Commissioner, is as disquiet-
ing as it is unfortunate. It already
has reused intense resentment
throughout the Arab world and COM
plicates the relations OF the French
National Committee at Algiers with
Britain, and perhaps indirectly with
America as we'll.
This regrettable affair is merely
the latest episode in the chronic
clash between rising Arabic nation
alism and French mandatory rule.
After the First World War. the
Arabic-speaking provinces of the
former Ottoman Empire were vir-
tually partitioned between Britain
and France under the form of man
dates from the League of Nations.
The mandatory declarations envis-
aged the ultimate destiny of these
lands as independent nations. Ger
tain it is that the inhabitants
themselves resented the arrange
ment. Syria. which had been as
signed to the French. declared its
independence and had to be con-
quered by a French Army. The
French thereupon divided the coun-
try into five separate governments
Syria. Aleppo. Diebel Druse, Latakia
and Lebanon. This clearly was
designed to stimulate local particu-
larisms and hinder unitary nation
alist sentiment. But it did not
prevent recurrent agitation, unrest
and even rebellion. In the years
before the present war, concessions
were made to nationalist feeling,
especially in Syria. which was per-
mitted to absorb Aleppo and Djebel
Druse.
The most dependable part of the
mandate was the Lebanon. a noun
famous region bordering the Med
iterranean where a large minority Of
the population are Roman Catholic
Christians known as Maronites, over
whom France has extended an his
toric interest and protection. 1t was
thought that the Maronites, though
Arabic in language and culture,
would be loath to merge themselves
politically in united independent
Syria which would be overwhelm-
ingly Moslem. So the separateness
OF the 'Lebanese Republic" was care
fully emphasized by France, with
the logical corollary that, should
the French mandate terminate, Leb-
anon would be too small and weak
to maintain an existence apart from
the rest of Syria.
However, the nationalistic move
ment did increasingly permeate the
Lebanon and was intensified by the
present war. When Britain was
compelled to invade the French
mandate and overthrow the Vichy
regime in the summer of 1941, a sort
of joint rule was established
between the British forces in
military occupation and Free French
authorities who were installed to
replace the ousted Vichyites. But
assurances of eventual independence
were given by General Catroux,
Commander OF the Free French
forces in both Syria and Lebanon,
on behalf of General de Gaulle. the
leader of the Free French move
ment, while British political and
military authorities have continued
there, since Syria and Lebanon re-
manned strategic zones in the war.
The Lebanese. acting on the as
surances of independence, have
elected parliament which recently
has passed several measures highly
displeasing to the French author
tiles. These now have dissolved the
parliament. arrested the nationalist
leaders and installed a compliant
native regime. all without even in
forming the British authorities.
Britain has protested vigorously
against this unilateral action, un-
warranted by the terms of the joint
occupation, and has declared it
would not tolerate the disorders
which are likely to arise. The Leb-
anese, Christians and Moslems alike,
seem deeply aroused. Syria and
Egypt are furious. For months
past, representatives of the whole
Arab world have been conferring at
Cairo on their postwar status. This
is no time to affront Arab nation
alism as the French are doing in
Lebanon. Unless measures are taken
to compose the quarrel and stop the
strong-arm methods of Commits
sioner Helleu, the gravest repercus-
sions may ensue throughout the
Near and Middle East.