SYRIA AND THE BEDUIN
Sta,—Will you allow me to correct an inaccuracy in Mr. Brian Stuart's excellent article on " Syria and the Beduin " in your issue of July 6th? He stated that " Thanks entirely to American effort and money, Syria, as a whole, is feeling the benefit of real education." No one would think of belittling the American contribution to Syrian education—chiefly, if not wholly, I imagine the result of missionary effort. Indeed, the Ameri- can University in Beirut grew out of the Syrian Protestant College, 3 daughter of the American Presbyterian Mission.
But the British have also made, and are still making a valuable con- tribution in "effort and money " to education in Syria. The British Syrian Mission, for instance, has been at work in the country since r86o, and was the pioneer in establishing schools for Moslem girls.. Its Train- ing College in Beirut is well known throughout the Near East, and the Syrians would be the first to acknowledge the contribution which our schools in Damascus, Tyre, the Lebanon mountains, and elsewhere have made to the education of their people. A few months ago the Notables of Baalbec made a special appeal to the British Minister to use his influence with our Mission to get our school in Baalbec, dosed during the war, reopened. I may add that at the present time we are trying to open a Boys' School in .Beirut, for which there is an insistent demand.
So much for the " effort "! As for the " money," funds come not only from the Mother country, for generous contributions are received from our branches in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is well that it should be realised at the present time, when in certain quarters British activities in Syria are being impugned, how valuable a contribution the Empire has made, and is still making, to the well- being of the Syrian people.—Yours faithfully, J. D. MarrLAND-KrawAx,
British Syrian Mission, Hon. General Secretary, 6 Queen's Road, Tunbridge-Wells.
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