24 JULY 1920, Page 2

It has been reported that the Frenoh ultimatum to the

Arabs in Syria demands that the railway between Rayak and Aleppo shall be handed over to French control, that the French mandato shall be - unconditionally accepted, that the French Syrian currency shall be introduced, that the Arabs who have been in arms against French rule shall be surrendered for punishment, and that French shall be the official language throughout Syria. Mr. Bonar Law said nothing about the demand that French should be the official language everywhere, so we may, perhaps, conclude that this demand was not really in the ultimatum. The reason why the French want the railway between Rayak and Aleppo is obvious. It is the connecting link between the French forces in Cilicia and Beyrout. The real question at issuo is the exact meaning of the mandate.