Abstract

The French Activities in Syria

This article presents the author's views on French activities in Syria. Following the bombardment of Damascus in October, 1925, the appointment of M. Henry de Jouvenel, the first civil head of the French administration in Syria, implied an acknowledgment of the faults of his predecessors. At once the Syrian Nationalists began to build castles in the air, founded on the hope that the new High Commissioner would bring peace to Syria. M. de Jouvenel faced the problem that the presence of France in Syria as the mandatory was against the wishes of the people and was therefore the primary reason for Syrian dissatisfaction. In theory the mandate system was evolved for the benefit of peoples who have reached such a degree of civilization that their independence may be provisionally recognized, but who, because of lack of experience in self-government, need the aid of a powerful nation to set them on their feet.