Evening star., 1948-05-02
Half Of Syrian Army
Is Reported Joining
Arab Liberation Force
By Leigh White
Foreign Correspondent Of The Sfor and
A. rlf.--- R-el..

The chleaso Daily ksws
TYRE, LEBANON, May 1.-Ap-
proximately half the members OF
Syria's 10,000-man army are be-
neved to have volunteered for serv-
ice In the reorganized Arab Army Of
Liberation.
Amid cheers of the population
here, I watched a battalion of
troops in Syrian uniforms set out
In string of buses for the North
Palestinian front.
The troops were well clothed and
shod and equipped with brand-new
Belgian rifles. Despite the wave of
pessimism that has swept the civil
ian population Of Lebanon, these
Syrian troops at least were in high
spirits and seem determined to give
good account Of themselves in
Palestine.
So far as I have been able to
learn, however, no members of the
Lebanese army have yet volunteered
IN similar groups to join the Army
Of Liberation.
Army Of 10000 Is Aim.
According to press reports before
the imposition Of military censor
ship, the aim Of the Arab League
is to organize an army OF approx
mately 10000 under a single unified
command.
It remains to be seen whether or
not such an army will be strong
enough to dislodge Hagana's 10000
to $4,000 troops from their newly
won positions.
Jealousy between leaders Of the
various Arab states apparently Is
still an obstacle to the formation
Of the only sort Of army capable
of regaining the ground that the
Arabs have lost.
It is still not clear whether the
leaders Of other Arab states have
agreed to permit King Abdullah
of Trans-Jordan to command q new
unified army. If they have, pre-
sumably they have also agreed to
annex to Trans-Jordan what may
be the greater part of what remains
Of Arab Palestine.
Red Moves Feared.
Paramount fear Of thoughtful
Arabs, at the moment, is what may
happen If and when the British
lift their blockade Of the Palestinian
coast. Y
If the blockade Is lifted uncon-
ditionally, 1t would be possible for
the Soviet Union-through its Bal
kan satellites - to land unlimited
quantities of arms and men on the
coast of what is now temporarily at
least Eretz Israel (Jewish soiD.
1t seems unlikely that the British
would be so foolish as to permit
such calamity to happen. But
in light of the many follies already
committed in Palestine by both
British and Americans, it is still a
possibility that sorely worries the
Arabs.
If Hagana should be so desperate
or foolish as to accept Soviet assist
ance in bringing in unlimited num-
bers OF Jewish immigrants, the civil
war in Palestine would then assume
many of the characteristics of the
civil war in Spain.
New War Feared.
Soviet Russia in Palestine, no less
than did Nazi Germany in Spain,
would exact far-reaching political
concessions that would almost be
certain to lead to another global war.
In view of that grim possibility
the creation at this late date Of a
United Nations police force for
Jerusalem-in which the Soviet
Union could hardly be prevented
from playing its usual role-would
merely add to the follies America al
ready has committed, as observers
here see it.
If 1t is Washington's purpose TO
reproduce In Jerusalem the unholy
conditions that exist today in Berlin,
they say, the belated creation of an
inadequate police force. with Russian
participation, seems an excellent way
to achieve 1t.