New Chief In Control Of Country - 01/10/1961

Nasser Won’t Try To Recoup Loss

 

New York Times News Service

 

BEIRUT, Sept 30- The new Syrian government announced an order Saturday for the expulsion of all Egyptian civilian and military personnel. In addition to 6,000 troops stationed at Latakia and Egyptian officers sprinkled through Syrian army units, it is estimated there are about 5,000 Egyptian civil servants on duty in Syria.

 

The announcement said Egyptians must report to the authorities to prepare for departure by 10 a.m. Monday. Syrians with claims against Egyptians should also notify the authorities.

 

The new government of Premier Mahmoun al-Kuzbari, in a sweeping order to put a practical end to the union with Egypt, underlined one of its two salient features-nationalism

 

In its emphasis on Syria’s pure Arab traditions and pride in Syria’s past and early leadership against foreign domination, it is anti-Egyptian. Egyptians, with their Pharaonic past, are not considered Arabs by these Syrians.

 

The other salient feature is economic conservatism. Repeal of President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s “Arab socialist” economic reforms, particularly nationalization, appears to have been a prime objective of the new regime.

 

Now that the new regime has established control over the entire territory of Syria , and Nasser has said he will not try to reimpose union by force, Premier Kuzbari’s problem is whether he can rule

 

Nasser, knowing that he has a considerable popular following, in his last radio statement left it up to the people and the army of Syria to throw out the “reactionary” regime.

 

The Damascus radio replied to this tactic with day-long appeals to the public to comply with the new government’s instructions and with a charge that it was by bribery more than anything else that Nasser hoped to regain Syria. It alleged that the 120 Egyptian paratroopers who were captured at Latakia had with them equivalent of 250,000 Egyptian pounds in Syrian and Lebanese currency; this might be worth $70,000