Syrians Make Another Attempt to Obtain Mosul Pipe Line Terminus

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

The French Government is doing its best to secu## a point on the Lebanese-Syrian coast as the terminus of the Mosul Pipe Line, in accordance with the demand of the population of the French Mandated territories, states a message from the French Foreign Ministry which has been received by Omar Daouk, President of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce.

In connection with this message, the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies has unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that the establishment of the Mosul pipe line terminus in Palestine would exclude the French mandated territories from participation in the exploitation of the oil concession and would mean the ruin of the Beiru? port. The Chamber urges the French Government, therefore, to insist that a Lebanese point should be chosen as the terminus.

These reports revive the question of the rival schemes for an oil-pipe line from Iraq to the sea, which affects tremendously the future of Haifa as a commercial port. French interests, basing their claims on the San Rem? Agreement by which they undertook to grant transport facilities through Syria, demand that the line shall be laid to Alexandretta, while British and Iraq interests have urged the alternative route to Haifa. It has been pointed out that the only recommendation from a commercial standpoint for the French proposal is that it would effect a saving of over 100 miles in pipe line, while on the other hand, once initial expenditure has been made and the line laid, the all-important question is upkeep and guarding the line. The Haifa line would be laid through open country in Iraq and Palestine and could be easily patrolled.