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President Teiis Firing Squad:
'I Will Die Bravely'
Australian Associated Press
DAMASCUS (Syria!, Sunday. — "I lived bravely;
I want to die 'bravely," said Syria's President,
Husni, Zaim, as they prepared to shoot him today.
He refused to be blind-
lulUCu rtllfl. 5l»i ippcCl 01 II 15
new marshal's, uniform, lie
fell to the firing squad's
bullets.
Husni Zaim. 52. who had been
President since June 25, was
shot, with his Premier, Mohson
Baragi, soon after a military
coup had destroyed his govern
ment.
Colonel Sami Hinnawi, head
of (he Higher War Council,
has taken over control of
the country with the aid of
a "Supreme War Council."
Husni Zaim,, an army
colonel, had seized power from
the gove. nmeht of Shukry Bey
el Kounlly In a bloodless coup
last March— a move that was
confirmed by referendum In
June.
Today's counter revolution
appears to have been staged in
ternally without any foreign in
fluence. It was apparently or
ganised to enforce the principles
behind the March revolution
which tile military group, now
| in control, maintain that Zaim
; had failed to put In practice.
' His right-hand men were eyi-
'rirntl.v t.ehind the new revolt.,
chiefly young, Nationalist-mind
ed army officers,
Damascus Radio says that
hundreds of "well done" tele
grams have been received by
the new government from all
parts of Syria.
1 Reutcr's correspondent says
Ihnt Zaim offered the senior
army officer who shot his way
through the President's body
guard £3000 if ho would let him
escape, but was told "that's too
cheap for a traitor."
The higher military council
tonight asked Syrian political
parties, suspended since Zaim
took over, to meet to agree to
form a national government.
A cnmmuniuue issued by the
rounr.il said that it would be
Syrian policy to cn-opcratc
fully with the member States of
; the Arnb League without the
, differences which developed un-
' dor Zaim.
Led Hope Of Reform
Bp DOUGLAS BRASS. The
Herald Forcipn News Editor
The swift end of Syria's
President Husni Zaim, be
fore an army firing squad,
will have two important
and. immediate results in
the disturbed Middle East.
fylRST, the Arabs lose. a figure
around whom their yearn
ing for a spectacular, cru
sading leader was beginning
to consolidate.
SECOND, they lose an ex
ample of administration
which, for nil Its shndiness
and faults, was an attempt
at social reform and demo
cracy.
Since their Ignominious
failure in their war against
the .lews, and the blows this
dealt at' the Arab League,
the Arabs (It has everywhere
been admitted) needed DOtn
these things.
ABDULLAH'S RIVAL
Husni Zaim had been well
on the way toward succeeding
Abdullah of Jordan as the Big
Man among the Arabs. His
reputation, despite the rough
manner of his coming to
power, had been growing ns
Abdullah's diminished.
Thousands of Arabs beyond
Syria's borders had been look
ing to the tubby little "dic
tator" at Damascus as a rally
ing point for their divided and
unhappy peoples.
He, at least, seemed to
have the triek of efficirney.
the rare gift of foresight.
Husni Zaim had been tack
ling Syria's own problems In
a manner which Middle East
observers regard as essential If
the Arab Stntes are ever lo
recover from their misfor
tunes. and establish the rule
of law which leads to strength,
and progress.
Power in Svrla; under
Husni Zaim, had already
. shifted from the feudal
fnmllles to the middle class.
I Syrian women wore to have
the vote — nnd their Moslem
veil was gradually disappear
ing.
Trades unions for the first
time were being encouraged.
Better housing was on the
way. Many other unheard-
of reforms were being con
templated.
Syria, in short, was headed
for some sort' of social de
mocracy.
But It was a democracy
tempered with dictatorship
— and dictatorships carry
their own risks along with
them.
Tills time the risks, in the
form of military jealousy and
clique warfare, were too
tough for Husni Zaim.
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