SYRIA AND TRANSJORDAN "
StR,—My attention has been somewhat belatedly drawn by readers in Palestine to an article by Robin Maugham, which appeared in your issue of 9th May, 1947, entitled Syria and Transfordan. In this article Mr. Maugham states : "The Transjordan Force has an indifferent morale and has once seriously mutinied." The only incident in the history of the Corps which could possibly be distorted into justifying a reference to serious mutiny occurred in 1941 during Rachid Ali's rebellion in Iraq. Certain elements of one squadron refused to cross the frontier, Incident- ally, it may be of interest to remember that they were in fact entirely within their legal rights. It is enacted in the T.J.F.F. Ordnance that a proclamation by the High Commissioner is necessary before the Force may be employed outside the limits of Palestine or Transjordan. The necessary proclamation was not issued until a month or two later, when the whole Force took part in the Syrian campaign and did very good work there: a fact which Mr. Maugham finds it convenient to overlook. His reference to "indifferent morale" is even more unjustifiable. The morale of the Transjordanian Frontier Force is, and always has been, very high. Even if we attribute Mr. Maugham's attack on the reputation of a distinguished Corps to nothing lower than ignorance of essential facts, he shows himself very lacking in that sense of responsibility, which readers surely have a right to expect from writers claiming specialised knowledge of their subject.—I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Obedient Servant, R. EDGEWORTH-JOHNSTONE (MAJOR-GENERAL) (Director of Public Relations).
War Office, Whitehall, S.W.1.
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