Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-03
Coup Leader Is Named
Acting Chief Of State
By Syria Army Council.
BY the Assoeioied Press


DAMASCUS. Syria. April a
The Supreme Military Council
proclaimed Brig. Husni Zayim
military governor of Syria with
the rights of chief of state today.
President al Sayed Shukri al
Kuwatly, the titular chief of state
who was arrested in the army's
bloodless coup Wednesday. was
taken to a camp in the East Syr-
ian desert.
Brig. Zayim, leader Of the coup,
dissolved the House Of Representa-
tives, Syria's one-chamber Parli-
ament, and began temporary rule
by decree. He announced he would
appoint q commission of 20 law
yers and legislators to write a new
constitution preparatory to hold
ing new elections.
At the same time he appointed
new district governors for Alep
(Aleppo), HONS. Jebel ed Druz
and Lattaquie and a new Damas-
Gus administrator.
Will Re-examine Agreements.
The military governor told
news conference projected none
tary convention and another
agreement for construction OF the
Arabian American Oil Company,s
pipe line would be re-examined
in the light of national interest,
Contrary to rumors, Faris eli
Khoury, 70-year-old president OF
the House of Representatives. has
complete freedom of movement.
PRESUMABLY Brig. Zayim's
efforts to form new govern
ment acceptable 70 the old
Parliament collapsed. Hence
his decision to dissolve it. Syria
therefore appeared to be under
military rule, at least tempo
rarily. Brig. zayim had been
negotiating through ell khoury,
former delegate to the United
Nations, for formation OF a
new government
Brig. Zayim was making every
effort to avoid having his under
taking described as a dictatorlal
movement.
Election Forgery Charged.
As q legal background for his
action, he declared the old Parlia-
ment had been elected by forgery
and pressure and was an ODE
dent tool" in the hands OF the
old governing group. :,
His coup. he said, was intended
to restore to the nation its stolen
rights and usurped liberties" ana
wipe opt this irregular and lille
gal" state of affairs.
His dissolution decree was ap-
proved by the Supreme Military
Council. which said the temporary
administration would be in the
hands Of Brig. Zayim and the
undersecretaries of the various
ministries. These minor officials
have been carrying on since the
arrest Of the leading officials
Wednesday.
The new elections will be held
as soon as the constitutional COM
mission has completed its work. 1t
was announced.
Meanwhile, 1t was disclosed that
President al Sayed Shukrt al
Kuwatly has been transferred
from o hospital here to q camp
in the Syrian desert near Tadmor
tPalmyra).
Before the transfer he was taken
on q tour of Damascus in an
srmored car to witness popular
demonstrations in support Of the
army coup.
The Cairo independent news
weekly, Akhbar el Yom, reported
yesterday that persons mediating
between. Brig. Zayim and the old
government were known to sup
port a Greater Syria"
Greater Syria" is the dream OF
King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan
to unite his own country with
Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Arab
Palestine under his crown.
The Egyptian weekly said 1t was
q strange coincidence" that Fadel
ell Jamali, Iraqi foreign minister.
arrived in Damascus the day after
the coup. Iraq is ruled by a re-
gent who is q kinsman Of King
Abdullah's. The magazine also
quoted Abdullah as saying II don't
like Shukri al Kuwatly and he
does not like me-
Warns Other Arab States.
Akhbar ell Yom, in a separate
interview with Brig. Zayim, how
ever, quoted him as saying he had
advised representatives of other
countries in Damascus that hel
would brook no interference from
any foreign or Arab country"
It quoted him as saying his
regime does not favor capitalism
and will not be affected by Com
munism." The Communist Party
was outlawed in Syria several
months ago.
London dispatches quoted O.
British diplomat just returned
from Damascus as saying the coup
was the result of internal mat
ters, principally the rising cost Of
living" The diplomat who would
not permit use of his name, said
"the people were tired of the die
tatorship rule of President al
Kuwatly and the army decided to
do something about it,"
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