Evening star., 1957-04-21
Tough Bedouin
Gets Jordan
|Defector's 5 Post

|DeteCt0r S Post
Continued From First Page
Gen. Majali was named deputy
chief. Gen. Majali was made act
ling chief tonight. His rise in the
military hierarchy has led to
speculation that King Hussein
has decided to rely more on the
lBedouinS-tribal mainstays Of
Jordan's old Arab Legion--and
Ireduce the influence of Pales-
|tinian Arabs and city men in the
army.
| Old loyalties among the army
|officers figured in the crisis. along
with cross-currents Of the Arab
spheres politics and the East
West cold war.
4 Immediately after Gen. Ha-
yari took Office, the palace or
dered the appointment of a five-
officer commission Of inquiry to
look into recent disturbances
that followed the young mon
arch's dismissal of Leftist Sulei-
man Nabulsi's pro-Egyptian gov
ernment 10 days ago.
The commission was reported
empowered to court-martial Of
ficers involved. Rumors were
that 35 or 40 officers would be
tried, dismissed or transferred
from their present posts.
Reluctant on Courts Martial
/ Gen. Hayari was described
here as reluctant to pursue the
inquiry, which might mean the
court-martial of some of his old
comrades in arms.
Almost ruthless in his disci-
pline, he has often been called
a rival of Gen. Nuwar. whose
pro-Egyptian politics he did not
approve. but he is from the
same town as Gen, Nuwar and
Jordanian community traditions
are strong.
I Once he reached Damascus,
Gen Hayari decided to throw
in his lot with the dissident
group. He telephoned Senator
Kassem around midnight and
asked him to hand in the resig-
nation which he had written a
few days before during the crisis
over the Nuwar case.
The resignation may play
into King Hussein's hands In the
short-term view. The king has
been trying to tighten his grip
on the army by wedding out
politically minded young nat
ionalists and replacing them
with more conservative and loyal
types.
/ But the resignation likely viii
make 1t more difficult for the
emergency government of Pre-
mier Khalidi to fulfill its avowed
aim Of tranauilizing the nation.
I 1t was made public while hum
dreds of Easter tourists and pill
grimS were in Jordanian-ruled
Old Jerusalem for services COM
memorating the resurrection of
Christ.
/ Mr.. Khalidi repeatedly had
won general agreement among
various political groups to ac-
cept an informal political truce
until after Easter and the Mos
lem Bairam holidays at the end
of the month.
But the quick succession of
changes in the army high COM
mand was not conducive to the
tranquility the government is
seeking.
! Third Shift in Is Months
( Gen. Hayari is the third chief
of staff TO come and go since
British Gen. Sir John Bagot
Glubb was ousted l3 months ago.
/ Elderly Mai. Gen. Radi Ainnab
stepped into Gen. Glubb's shoes
but in a few months was sue
ceeded by Gen. Nuwar. "a. who
had helped engineer the Glubb
custer.
! Mr.. Khalidi returned from his
Jericho home early today and
went into a five-hour cabinet
meeting at the home OF former
Premier Said Mufti.
There was a report the cabinet
decided to abandon the idea OF
a military inquiry commission In
the army in favor of commits
sion from the Ministries of De-
fense and Interior.
/ Reliable informants disclosed
leftist group tried to circulate
a petition here yesterday de-
mandinR the custer of United
States Ambassador Lester D.
Mallory on the allegation he had
Iinterfered In Jordan's internal
affairs. Police confiscated the
petition.
The informants said it was
circulated by extreme leftist
members Of the national steer
ing committee. made up of the
political parties which ruled in
Mr.. Nabulsi's coalition govern
ment.