Document summarizing Charles Crane's visit to Syria, 1922

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Mr. Crane's visit to Syria
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April 1-9. !•««•    -
Although the pr.ee reporte of the ino identaLere exaggerated
and in many ino tances deliberately erroneous,  the recent visit
•f Charlee B. Orane to Syria «me used by the Syrians te an océanien
to demonstrate their universal hostility w» the French. ïhefgppoei-
tien to French oentrel is not new for it has been the prevailing
«pinion since the armistice and the first suggestions of a French
mandate.    It has however been closely checked by military farce
5kW
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ed"suppressed feeling tbat the mere presence of an American sympathizer «as sufficient to touch off an explosion without any words or
action on his part that could be regarded in any light as respsnsible
or accessory.    Mr.  Crane's visit also revealed net only the hatred of
the Syrians for the mandatory administration hut also the extreme If 1
nervousness and anxiety of the French officials.
Mr. Crane's tour of Syria «as only nine days in duration, from
his arrival in Damascus the evening of April 1st until his departure
from Beirut on April 9th.    He was careful te explain at all times?!
to his acquaintances and others who knew of his tour of the eeuntry*       a _J
in 1919 as Commissioner in the American Commission en Mandates in
Turkey, and «ho might have misunderstood the purpose of the present
journey,  that it was quite unofficial and without political significance»    Be was simply a tourist interested in exchanging friendly
greetinge with those whom he had met during his three previous vieite
çj        to Syria, and^in observing the general conditions of  the  oeuntry.  The
purely personal oharaotor of the tour was fully explained to  the Acting
W       High commissioner, *. Hébert de Caix,  first by the American consul at
i !_:_.