World Events in a Month

World Events in a Month
This corner is edited by: Ziyadeh Awwad

In the thick of the current world events, the parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon during the past month, in four stages, in each of the governorates of Beirut and the South, Mount Lebanon, the Bekaa, and the governorate of North Lebanon, to elect sixty-six deputies to the new Chamber of Deputies.

In Beirut, the election was announced of Messrs.: Sami al-Solh, Khalil al-Hibri, Pierre Eddé, Nassim Majdalani, Khatchig Babikian, Joseph Chader, Shafiq Nassif, Movses Der Kaloustian, Fawzi al-Hoss, Jamil Makkawi, and Rashid Baydoun.

In the South the winners were Messrs.: Ali Bazzi, Kazem al-Khalil, Rida Wahid, Kamel al-Asaad, Yusuf al-Zayn, Muhammad al-Fadl, Adel Osseiran, Nicolas Salem, Jean Aziz, Farid Qozma, and Maarouf Saad.

In the governorate of Mount Lebanon there were elected Messrs.: Bashir al-Awar, Mahmoud Ammar, Edouard Honein, Ilya Abou Jaoude, Albert Moukheiber, Salim Lahoud, Asad al-Ashqar, Dikran Tosbath, Emile Bustani, Anwar al-Khatib, Qahtan Hamadeh, Naim Moghabghab, Henri Trabulsi, Emir Majid Arslan, Munir Abu Fadel, Georges Akl, Maurice Zouain, Clovis al-Khazen, Nohad Boueiz, and Raymond Eddé. And in the governorate of the Bekaa the winners were Messrs.: Nazem al-Qadri, Salim al-Dawud, Sabri Hamadeh, Ibrahim Haidar, Shafiq Murtada, Philippe Takla, Georges Hrawi, Joseph Skaff, Adib al-Ferzli, and Taqi al-Din al-Solh.

— And finally, in the governorate of North Lebanon, the winners were Messrs.: Hamid Frangieh, René Moawad, Kabalan Issa al-Khoury, Charles Malik, Jean Harb, Nassouh al-Fadel, Rashid Karami, Nadim al-Jisr, Hashem al-Husseini, Fuad al-Burt, Bashir al-Othman, Raouf Hanna, Michel al-Daher, and Abdul Karim al-Qaddour.

Among the matters of importance in the Arab and international fields were the contacts and conferences that filled the capitals of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, and Baghdad and London, concerning the clearing of the Arab atmosphere on the one hand, and agreement on the problem of disarmament, which is counted today among the most prominent world problems now standing.

His Majesty King Saud paid a visit to Jordan, met with His Majesty King Hussein and the pillars of his government, and held with them detailed talks on the current Arab questions — questions which all the Arabs, governments and peoples alike, consider to demand swift and decisive solutions, to restore the Arab ranks to what they once were, so as to resist Zionist ambitions in the lands of the Arabs, and to check the ambitions of colonialism whatever its color, its kind, and its source. Likewise, President Quwatli's visit to Egypt was no less significant than the Saudi monarch's visit to Jordan: the Syrian President desired that the black clouds be dispelled from the Arab skies, especially between Egypt and Syria on the one hand, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the other — a kingdom whose strained relations with Egypt had found an echo of deep regret in sincere Arab circles. Then came King Hussein's visit to Baghdad as a natural sequel to the efforts expended toward strengthening Arab relations and working to bring about a drawing-together of estranged hearts. The declaration of Iraq's new Prime Minister, Mr. Ali Jawdat al-Ayyubi, that his government would give the relations among the Arab states its full attention, came as a good omen of hope which Arab officials met with the warmest welcome. But this does not mean that the previous government fell short in this field; Premier Nuri al-Said has taken frank and firm stands on this subject which, if they were not crowned with complete success, are at least the point of departure in drawing up the foreign political program of Premier al-Ayyubi's government. On this basis, the policy of the previous Iraqi government in the Arab and international fields is considered to have been inspired by the interests of Iraq and by the Arab questions in general