As was only to be expected after the events of the past four years, the country was in a most unsettled state. The crops and live stock had been mercilessly requisitioned by the Turks over large areas, and many of the peasants, left callously4 to starve,[Pg 296] had taken to a life of brigandage5. The whole country was infested6 with robber bands. Even large parties dared not travel at night, and indeed few ventured to travel at all. Those whose business or duty took them about the country crept from village to village by unfrequented bye-paths, avoiding the roads. Merchants and shopkeepers buried most of their wares7, displaying in their places of business only a few miserable8 samples.
The direct road from Damascus to Homs was so overrun with robbers that even considerable bodies of Turkish soldiers marching along it had been attacked and massacred; so that it had been, at last, altogether abandoned as a line of communications in favour of the longer, and far worse, road through Baalbek.
Within three weeks of the signing of the Armistice10, unarmed pedestrians11 travelled alone and unafraid through all the land. On every road were to be seen throngs12 of refugees returning to their ravished homes, accompanied by carts piled high with household goods. When night came on, these people pulled off the road, and slept in peace and safety till morning. Merchants brought out their wares from secret places, and buyers crowded into the cities in thousands.
During the whole time the British forces were in occupation of the country, from the end of October 1918 till November 1919, there were only two attempts to disturb the peace, and both of these were nipped in the bud at once. The first occurred on the night of November the 30th, 1918, when a notorious robber chief, who lived in an almost inaccessible13 village up in the Anti-Lebanon, attempted to raid one of our ammunition14 and store depots15 at Rayak. The robbers were driven off, with the loss of six men killed and[Pg 297] twenty prisoners, and we had no more trouble of that sort.
jurisdiction16
Within the jurisdiction of the Desert Mounted Corps.
The River Euphrates at Rakka.
aintab
Aintab.
The second attempt took place at Aleppo on the 23rd February 1919. A plot was engineered by Turkish ex-officers and local Arabs, to bring about a massacre9 of the hated Armenians in the city. The disturbance17 was quickly put down, but not before a few persons on both sides had been killed. Several prominent natives were arrested in connection with the plot, and tried by a mixed court of British and Arab officers. Those of the conspirators18 who were proved actually to have taken life were executed, and others were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment19. These sentences had a most salutary effect, and there was no further effort to disturb the peace.
There was a detachment of the Arab Army, about 200 strong, at Aleppo, and one or two soldiers were quartered in all outlying villages of any importance. It is pleasant to be able to record that the Arab Government made a genuine, and successful, effort to assist in maintaining law and order in the country, and the Arab Governor of Aleppo was always on the best of terms with our officials. The Governor at this time was Gafar Pasha, who had been a general in the Turkish Army, and had fought against us in the Senussi Campaign, where he was taken prisoner, and sent to Cairo to be interned20. He was liberated21, at his own request, in order to join the Arab Army, in which he commanded a division with distinction from the latter part of 1917 till the end of the war.
One of the most difficult tasks carried out by the Corps was that of restoring to the Armenians their houses and property. A Reparation Committee was formed in Aleppo, with representatives at Aintab and Marash, and much useful work was done. All houses that formerly22 belonged to Armenians were[Pg 298] evacuated23 by their Moslem24 occupiers, and, as far as possible, restored to their rightful owners. Very many of these had, however, been killed or had disappeared. Others, attracted by tales of the fabulous25 sums to be made in Aleppo by trading with the British, flocked into the city, and refused to return to their own homes. Many Armenian women had entered the harems of Turks or Arabs, and a number of these did not now wish to leave. They were well treated there, and protected, and they preferred the comfort of the harem to the prospect26 of starting again in the cold world outside.
The difficulties of the Reparations Committee were much increased by the intrigues27 and lies of the members of local branches of the Turkish Committee of union and Progress. These people had been the chief offenders28 in the persecution29 of the unhappy Armenians, and they, more than any others, had grown fat on the plundered30 property. Now that their power was broken, they feared not only the confiscation31 of their ill-gotten goods, but drastic punishment, possibly even death, for the many murders they had committed. It was not to be wondered at, therefore, that they should seize every opportunity to hamper32 and embarrass our officials in their investigations33. More than one prominent local member of the C.U.P. had to be removed from his position as headman of a village, in consequence of his obstructive tactics.
Notwithstanding all these difficulties, very large numbers of Armenians were restored to their houses, furniture and effects were recovered or made good, and families were re-united. Some 3000, who were awaiting repatriation34, were housed in the barracks at Aleppo, fed by the British, and given work at high wages.
[Pg 299]
It must be confessed that the Armenians are, as a nation, a very unpleasant people. That this is largely due to the treatment they have received in the past does not alter the fact. Deprived of their land many centuries ago, and debarred, to a great extent, from engaging in industry, they have become moneylenders, as have the Jews in similar circumstances. Usurers in all countries are a detested35 class, and the Armenians are no exception to the rule. They are the usurers of Turkey, grasping and avaricious36, the holders37 of mortgages on the peasants' land, the speculators in food, hated and despised by all classes. Small wonder that the Turk, blood-thirsty as he is by nature, needs little encouragement to start a massacre of them, whenever he has the chance.
Another important task undertaken by the Corps was the stabilising of the exchange. At the time when we first occupied Aintab, shortly after the Armistice, Turkish 100 piastre notes were worth about 4s. 6d. in Aleppo. The ten piastre notes had practically no value, and most of the merchants refused to accept them. All the Egyptian notes were accepted at about their face value. In Aintab, on the other hand, which was only eighty miles away, traders were suspicious of the Turkish 100 piastre notes, but those of ten piastres were readily accepted, and were worth nearly twice as much as the equivalent Egyptian note. Similar apparently38 unreasonable39 anomalies were to be observed in other places. A good example occurred at the beginning of February. One day a merchant of Aleppo came to General MacAndrew, and stated that he had just heard that his business in Baghdad, which was his principal source of livelihood40, had been nearly ruined by an enemy. If, said he, he could get there at once, he[Pg 300] could save it, but it was a matter of days, almost of hours. Under the circumstances, would his Excellency permit him to ride to Baghdad and back in one of the British aeroplanes, for which he would pay any sum that was demanded. He was turned over to the Intelligence Branch, who, after making inquiries41, reported that he was a man of substance, much respected in Aleppo, and with considerable local influence, which might be useful to us. His request was accordingly granted, and he was taken to Baghdad in one of our aeroplanes. He only remained there twenty-four hours, and then flew back to Aleppo. He paid ￡160 for the trip, and seemed to think his journey cheap. A few days later the General's headquarters were besieged42 by a crowd of applicants43, each of whom had a business in Baghdad which was on the point of being ruined by an enemy! Further inquiries by the Intelligence Branch elicited44 the facts of the case. It appeared that the Russian one-rouble note was worth about half its face value in Aleppo. In Baghdad, where there was a large number of them, they were not worth the paper on which they were printed. The astute45 merchant, hearing of this, and realising that such a state of affairs could not last an hour, once telegraphic communication was established between the two places, determined46 to bring as many of the notes as he could to Aleppo at once. There was no time to be lost, as the telegraph line was nearly through, so he hit upon the plan of hiring an aeroplane, and cleared, according to repute, nearly ￡40,000 as the reward of his initiative!
This was the last and greatest of the many gambles in exchange that enlivened the days of the merchants of Aleppo during the early period of our occupation of the place. Gradually, by means of a vigorous[Pg 301] publicity47 campaign, and by selling surplus enemy stores for Egyptian money only, the monetary48 position was stabilised, and, by the end of May, Egyptian paper was generally accepted all over the country.
It must not be supposed that the life of the Corps was all work and no play. At Beir?t and Tripoli racecourses were laid out very soon after the cavalry occupied those places, and several capital little meetings were held. Later on an excellent course was made at Aleppo, with two grand stands, paddock, judge's box, parade ring, and everything complete, even to a fully49 equipped totalisator (run by the Corps cashier). Races were held every fortnight, and the social amenities50 were provided for by a tastefully laid out 'lawn,' and first-rate catering51 arrangements! Aleppo also boasted a really good polo ground and several football and cricket grounds. Both the racing52 and the polo were considerably53 better than were to be had in Cairo or Alexandretta.
There was also a pack of 'fox hounds' at Aleppo and another at Tripoli. The 'Lebanon Hounds,' at the latter place, showed some quite good sport over the comparatively flat country near the coast, but the 'Aleppo Hunt' was handicapped by the rocky nature of the country, and by the fact that most of the 'earths' were holes in solid rock, out of which it was impossible to dig a fox that had got to ground. Moreover, as they met at five o'clock on Sunday mornings only, the fields were never very large!
The 13th Brigade, at Aintab, held a series of point-to-point meetings in the vale of the Kuwaik Su, and the regiment54 at Marash organised a pig-sticking club, which met once or twice near the Ak Su lakes. There was not much sport, as the pigs came from the hills, which were unridable, and to which they speedily retired55, as soon as they were disturbed.
[Pg 302]
Expeditions to the ruins of the Hittite City of Carchemish, near Jerablus, to the summer palace of Haroun al Rashid at Rakka on the Euphrates, 150 miles east of Aleppo, to Palmyra, the city of Zenobia, in the desert eighty miles east of Homs, and to various other historical remains56, added interest to life, and, at the same time, served to give officers and men a knowledge of the country that they could have obtained in no other way.
The Anzac and Australian Mounted Divisions left for Egypt in the spring of 1919, and on the 7th June the Desert Mounted Corps was broken up. The administration of the conquered territory was taken over by the newly-created 'Northforce,' which consisted of the 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions and two divisions of Infantry, the whole under the command of Major-General Barrow. This force found garrisons57 for places up the coast as far as Smyrna, and also took over the administration of the Baghdad Railway from Constantinople to the railhead east of Nisibin in Mesopotamia.
In November of the same year the administration of northern Syria was finally handed over to our French Allies, and the last of the British and Indian Cavalry marched out of the country they had conquered and held for over a year.
stone
Inscription58 cut on the rock cliffs of the Dog River, near Beir?t, amongst those of Rameses II, Nebuchadnezar, Senacherib and other early conquerors59 of Syria.
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1
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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callously
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brigandage
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| n.抢劫；盗窃；土匪；强盗 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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armistice
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| n.休战，停战协定 | |
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pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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throngs
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| n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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depots
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| 仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库 | |
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jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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18
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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interned
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| v.拘留，关押( intern的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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evacuated
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| 撤退者的 | |
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Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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28
offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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30
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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confiscation
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| n. 没收, 充公, 征收 | |
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32
hamper
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| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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repatriation
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| n.遣送回国，归国 | |
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detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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avaricious
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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monetary
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| adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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amenities
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| n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快 | |
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51
catering
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| n. 给养 | |
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52
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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53
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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54
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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55
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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56
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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garrisons
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| 守备部队，卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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