Tues Oct 14 [14 October 1919] Saw Captain Weald, I.O. He says a
year ago the French had practically all the Xians with them, orthodox
and Catholic, and 25% of the Moslems. Now all Moslems and 40% to
45% of the Xians are against them. Mainly due to their having openly
backed the Xians - this accounts for the Moslem feeling - and also to
their having neglected administration entirely. All the money has
gone to propoganda. No enquiry into land tenure and taxation, justice
much worse than in Turkish times. "The Turks has at least a good
ideal, the French haven't even that." A judge will change his sentence
3 times while he is actually uttering it. Their private life is scandalous
and they are under the influence of the worst women in the town - to the
point that a Lebanese Christian woman could not get her small
daughter back because she had been adopted by a woman of evil
life who had a fancy to retain her and stood behind the screen while
the mother made her petition, coming out to box the mother's ears,
without protest from the French officer who was deciding the case.
Picot, when he returned made no effort to propitiate the Moslems who
were outraged at having suffered from the discovery of his papers by
the Turks. The gendarmerie is under French officers and is useless;
the police is even worse. One of the leading Xians here, a dentist,
has been actively engaged in bringing together Moslems and Xians
against the French and has largely succeeded. Aymi[?] Beg, who
holds an administrative position and is an ex-CUP man, is working in
the interests of the extremist party at Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham,
Damas)] to rouse the people to resist the French by arms.
Gourraud's [i.e. Gouraud] appointment comes too late. The Druzes
are {almost} all solidly anti French with the exception of one of the
Arslans, a cousin of Shakib. \n\nWent up to the Jesuits and saw
Shaikho. We did not talk any politics but he expressed the opinion
that the Govt. would need to be firmer in dealing with the elements of
disorder. The remaining Ronceval is very ill, probably dying.
Shaikho and the two other Syrian Jesuits lived on here from hand to
mouth during the war. Our troops occupied part of the buildings at first
and he praised their behaviour. \n\nCaptain Weald said that it was the
French who had brought on the troubles between the Nosairis and the
Ismailiyah in order to give reason for intervention - which they did by
burning several villages. The Metawileh have not yet taken a hand in
the game, but all these elements will be violently anti French.
Everyone is armed and there is a very large smuggling of arms from
the interior. The French refuse permits to Moslems to carry arms and
give them to Christians. \n\nAfter lunch I saw Fuad Shuqair, son of
Ishbir Shuqair whom Faris Nimr wanted me to see. Fuad is Orthodox
and was for long at the British Consulate. He says 50% of the
Orthodox are anti French, have become so during the last years. He
spoke of the part women have played with the French and said that
the giving of such and such a girl was often demanded as a bribe.
The Judge Stephanie was notorious in this respect and has now
been deprived of his civil functions. There is a considerable {feeling}
jealousy of Damascus - Beyrut [Beyrouth (Beirut)] does not want to be
run by Damascus. No sympathy with the extremist party. Captain
Murray, APO to Capt Barker (who was away) came in and said the
report that we were to evacuate in Nov. is officially denied. They
none of them think Gouraud can do any good. \n\nDined with Capt.
Weald. Hawker, now a Colonel and Base Commandant of Beyrut
was there. Beyrut is not safe at night - they sandbag and rob you.