ABSTRACT
The government of Latakia on the north coast, so organized on May 14, 1930, and that of Djebel Druse in the southern interior, were administered directly by France, though they were parts of the State of Syria. Alexandretta, also part of Syria, received financial autonomy as a sanjak. It was during this crisis, while Enver Bey was rallying Tripolitan troops to the side of Turkey, that the Syrians began to press an active movement for national existence. The organization proved a sharp disappointment to the spirit of Syrian nationalism. Its worst features were the subdivision into so many entities, which had been intended to respect local autonomy but also to facilitate French control; dependence was intended to rest heavily upon support of Lebanese Christians. The difficulty of harmonizing ambitions is indicated by the fact that the Lebanese constitution was four times revised by the mandatory power within ten years.
