Henry Est Arrive

As M. Henry de Jouvenel, the new French Civilian High Commissioner to Syria (TIME, Nov. 16), arrived at Beirut last week, he was greeted by delegations of nearly all the religious and political groups* in the country except the rebellious Druses. It was estimated that before nightfall 10,000 people had passed through his office, and many Syrian chieftains pledged him their support. The streets of Beirut were decorated in his honor and a very evident attempt was made to stage a "popular welcome" which would wipe out memories of the unpopular and ruthless French Military High Commander, General Maurice Sarrail, recently recalled (TIME, Nov. 9).

M. de Jouvenel, while bestowing a decoration upon General Gamelin (who temporarily succeeded General Sarrail), took occasion to utter veiled conciliatory remarks and threats as follows:

"General, as you know, France would have preferred peace in Syria to your victories./- But since the enemy, by plundering and massacring obliges us to defeat them, you will continue to do so until the day when order and security return to the territory which the League of Nations entrusted to us and we can establish the independence and prosperity to which the people of Lebanon and Syria are entitled and which the rebellion alone delays. Peace to those who want peace; war to those who want war."

Despatches reported that Homs was closely invested by the rebels, last week; and that the rebel base at Hasbeya had at length been captured by the French after an elaborate encircling movement.

*PoliticaIly the Syrian mandate is divided into five territories: Damascus, Aleppo, Alaquite, Great Lebanon and the Jebel-ed-Druz. The first three make up the Syrian Federation, of 'which Damascus is the capital. The religious picture is somewhat blurred, but there are roughly about 1% million Sunni Moslems, and 100,000 each of Shia Moslems and Druses in the territory, together with some thousands of Christian converts.

/-The guerilla type of warfare indulged in by the rebels has precluded a decisive French victory. The French have naturally been able to scatter the half-savage tribesmen temporarily with modern war implements whenever a battle of any size has been staged.