NEARING A CLIMAX

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21226, 24 September 1940, Page 2

NEARING A CLIMAX

CONDITIONS IN SYRIA TEMPERS BOILING UP HOSTILITY TO ITALIANS (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 22 The Cairo correspondent of the Daily Mail reports that the situation in Syria appears to be nearing a climax. Tempers in Syria and Libanon are boiling up as the Italian Disarmament Commission Hits about the country, carrying on strange backstairs negotiations with the French. The Italians are shunning public- : ity because of the open hostility of | all sects. Members of the cominis- j sion have employed a bodyguard of i huge Senegalese since one member was assaulted. The Syrians are convinced that the . Italians want first to seize air bases i and then take over the administra- i tion of the country. The Syrians and Lebanese are turning to Irak as a possible saviour. It is reported that Irak has already ! formally protested to Vichy and re- j quested the restoration of constitu- i tional government. There is a growing inflationary | trend in the note issue. The Syrian State Bank has a capital of 2.000,000 Syrian pounds, but the note issue already has reached 7.000,000 pounds. Prices are rising rapidly. Weygand’s Broken Army The Cairo correspondent of the | Daily Express says that General Weygand’s broken army is becoming smaller daily, as Syrian troops are i refusing to take part in the sur- ; render. They disappear into the \ desert, taking their equipment with • them. Itaiy is trying to obtain in Syria a 1 strong movement to revive the an- j dent plan for linking the Irak and Syrian Arabs.

Irak called up a new army class last week, and great diplomatic activity has been observed in Bagdad.